Brexit uncertainties and migrant labour

In his monthly column, Professor Frank Peck, of the University of Cumbria's Centre for Regional Economic Development, looks at the difficult decisions facing workers from the EU. Much has been said about the possible effects of Brexit uncertainties on business decision-making. In this column in last month’s issue of in-Cumbria, it was noted that uncertainties associated with impending deadlines were generating volatility in national indicators of growth arising from fluctuations in stock levels in manufacturing in particular; in the second quarter of 2019 (April to June), manufacturing output actually fell compared to the previous quarter (-0.2). The monthly figures for July released on September 9 indicate a slight bounce back for manufacturing output (+0.3 per cent) though the Office for National Statistics suggest the overall picture is mixed with only seven out of 13 subsectors experiencing growth. The overall trend still appears to show decline (manufacturing output was down 0.7 per cent comparing the three months to July 2019 with the same period in 2018). While those responsible for managing businesses face difficult decisions under uncertain circumstances, the same is true for many employees from EU countries currently working in the UK.