‘Absurdity’ that firms rely on foreign workers

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 2, 2026

Alan Milburn has criticized UK employers for relying too heavily on migrant labor instead of investing in training young domestic workers amid a declining immigration rate. He argues this overdependence hampers efforts to address the nearly one million young people not in education, employment, or training, urging businesses to focus on sustainable local skills development as government investment in key sectors grows.

Alan Milburn, former health secretary and lead of a major review into youth inactivity in the United Kingdom, has criticized employers for what he described as an “absurd” dependence on migrant labor instead of investing in training domestic workers. Speaking to the BBC, Milburn highlighted that amid a growing jobs crisis affecting nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), businesses have an opportunity to rethink their recruitment strategies as immigration rates decline.

According to official data, net migration to the UK dropped sharply last year, falling to an estimated 171,000. Milburn said this reduction should serve as a catalyst for businesses, especially in sectors such as energy, defense, and infrastructure, where government investment is expected to increase significantly. “Some employers in some sectors have become too reliant on migrant labour and still are. And that what they need to be doing is investing for the long term in the sustainable supply of labour that comes from local areas,” he said. He pointedly noted the incongruity of importing welders from Romania to work on submarine construction projects amid these domestic labor challenges.

While Milburn condemned employer reliance on foreign workers, he has previously maintained that rising immigration is not the root cause of the high number of young people disengaged from the workforce or education. The issue, he suggests, lies more in the lack of effective training and engagement opportunities for young people.

The debate over labor market dynamics is further complicated by recent analyses, including one from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which indicate that planned increases in the minimum wage for young workers under the current Labour government could raise the cost of employing them by nearly £7,000 annually. This factor is seen by some as additional pressure on employers that may influence their hiring decisions.

As the UK faces a pressing challenge to bring more young people into education and employment, Milburn’s comments underscore a call for long-term investment in domestic skills development to reduce reliance on migration and create a more sustainable labor market.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.