AIBU to think this is a 'Get on your bike' moment from the Government?

[chomalungma]

Apparently there's 8 million economically inactive people in the UK.

Ok - so some of them are students, carers, long term ill, SAHP etc...

So maybe 20% of them are probably capable of work.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/19/immigration-firms-will-need-to-train-more-uk-workers-says-priti-patel

So that's good because there are going to be loads of vacancies to fill in the UK and UK workers will have the advantage.

Let's hope the jobs are in the same place as the economically inactive people are...or will it be a 'Get on your bike' to get a job future for people - regardless of house prices and the practicalities of moving to the job.

Certainly going to be an interesting few years.

[Charlottejbt]

Sanctions already have a "get on your bike" effect. Except you'd have already sold the bike to buy food.

My advice? Ride your bike onto a ferry before the end of the year and start again elsewhere. Don't wait until you or the UK hit rock bottom.

[Bella2020]

It's what the Tories have wanted all along.

[GreenTulips]

I think most people knew this was coming.

Maybe employers will start paying a living wage to UK nationals so they can afford to work.

[Tulipan]

Yes, you lazy retired people/stay at home parents ....
Get picking raspberries in Scotland

[steppemum]

I am so cross about all this, but the only possible glimmer on the horizon is that one reason that EU nationals did a lot of these jobs is that they are so badly paid.
If we no longer have a supply of cheap labour, then maybe the wages will improve, and the lowest paid won't be so badly off as they are now.

It is a tiny glimmer though, becuase I can't see how that happens without prices going up....

[Tulipan]

That was the argument from some in Labour against the EU ... we'll see what happens ...

[ineedaholidaynow]

That's the only way it can happen steppemum, with prices going up. But this is what people voted for.

[mencken]

basically stuff is too cheap because we have been paying appalling wages. Doing the right thing costs more.

perhaps we should start a working holiday scheme, Australia-style? They couldn't pick a lot of their crop without the British backpackers who actually PAY to go there. Problem is that you can't get as good a suntan here.

[Crinkle77]

Maybe employers will start paying a living wage to UK nationals so they can afford to work.

Ha ha yeah right!

[ElderAve]

Isn't this what most people voting for Brexit wanted?

Maybe, in the spirit of looking for the brightside, it might even work out best for the people involved. Long term unemployment can't be any fun.

[daisychain01]

It's what the Tories have wanted all along.

No it was 51% of the electorate who voted for Brexit baying first immigration controls and points system wasn't it?

FYI "the Tories" are the political party voted in under the democratic process ie UK people eligible to vote in this country.

[ineedaholidaynow]

Have to say though both DH and I moved away from where our families lived for our jobs, but not for minimum wage jobs.

[daisychain01]

baying for .. not first

[Motacilla]

I'm a remainer/rejoiner but in light of the current situation with Brexit what other solution do you suggest OP?

[Borisdaspide]

Plenty of farmers don't even pay minimum wage once they've used various finagles.

Wonder if we'll end up back with a six week strawberry season? That's one upside...

[Songsofexperience]

Maybe employers will start paying a living wage to UK nationals so they can afford to work.

Would be great but inevitably prices will rise and businesses will fail because they're no longer competitive. Also, we won't have access to our biggest export market. I see only chaos if they go through with no deal + restrictions on EU workers. I'm sure there are better ways to 'level up' than the recession heading our way at the end of the year. Or do they mean to level 'down'...

[TheQueef]

Tories like tried and tested plans.

[recrudescence]

Hello Workfare!

[anotherlittlechicken]

Oh no! Are companies in the UK actually going to have to start paying British people real legitimate, wages?

What a shame.

Not a scrap of sympathy from me. Nope. Not a single scrap!

Employers have been taking the piss for a couple of decades now, (by employing cheap foreign labour,) and the wages have been kept down BECAUSE of it.

Anyone who says anything different is deluded, or lying...

And no, businesses will not close down left right and centre, not if they are run properly. All that's going to happen is that the exorbitant amount of high wages and high bonuses the people at the top of the companies will get will be less. Shame.

HOORAY for this new, points-based system!!!

[marashino]

Norman Tebbit was always keen on the 'on your bike' but times have changed....for now.

[keepmoving]

Increased wages = increased costs as no big business will accept a drop in profits. So although we earn more we have to spend more...

[Nameofchanges]

If some of these jobs are in hospitality such as hotels, could they not house some of their workers? It would make minimum wage much more appealing if you got free London housing out of it.

[TheQueef]

Funny how Housing Benefit was the biggest portion of in work benefit, who knows maybe if housing was cheaper people wouldn't need as much top up?

Ok property owners wouldn't make as much money....

[dreamingbohemian]

There are so many assumptions in these arguments about EU workers that are not always true.

First, what's all this about UK workers 'finally having the advantage'? They have the advantage now actually, most employers would rather hire native English speakers who already know the area and how things work. But there are lots of jobs that UK workers simply do not apply for.

Pret has said only 1 in 50 applications come from British nationals. There is no reason why UK workers can't apply for those jobs now, okay it's minimum wage to start but they promote from within and have bonuses and you can make quite a bit more within a few years.

I used to work in a restaurant in the West End in London. I was the only native English speaker who worked there. It was decent money with tips, I have no idea why more Brits wouldn't want to work there. Restaurants would definitely prefer Brits too, language issues can lead to wrong orders or bad service.

Everyone always talks about fruit pickers but this is a small minority of the jobs that EU nationals do. Most of them work jobs that Brits could totally do if they wanted. And they are not all shacked up eight to a room to be able to survive on low wages, they do what any other Brit on minimum wage does, they live with family or in shared flats or out in the suburbs or what have you.

So I don't really see Brits taking over these jobs, the ones they don't want to do now anyway. And most businesses will not be able to radically increase wages. So I think realistically a lot of them will just fold.

[PettyContractor]

Economically inactive people are not necessarily people who want, need or should have jobs. The people you should have referenced are the unemployed. Apparently unemployment is at the lowest level since 1973, so I don't think there are many people on the bench ready to leap in to replace immigrants.

What will need to happen is that jobs that have been relying on immigrants will have to pay more, to lure in British workers. This will put upward pressure on wages even for employers who don't rely on cheap immigrants. The general increase in costs will mean some public services become more expensive, others will be cut. Some private businesses will cease to be viable.