Paweł Labaj moved from Poland to Great Britain in 2005, a year after opening the labor market in this country for the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe. He found a job as a cleaner and then a warehouseman. Today, after “great effort and commitment”, he is the head of Echo Personnel, an employment agency that employs employees to perform physical work with which he had previously dealt with.
Poles constituted more than half of people who emigrated to Great Britain from Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries after these countries joined the EU in 2004. Many of them started working in agriculture and hotel industry-two industries that needed employees, did not require knowledge of the language and did not offer high salaries. Other Poles started working on their own as builders and plumbers.
They earned little. Data of the Tax Office show that in 2014 adults who received a social insurance number and declared Polish nationality, earned 15 percent. less than people born in Great Britain. Since then, however, there has been a significant change – the median remuneration of Poles is currently higher than the British.
Professional promotion – and social
One of the probable reasons for this is to raise their professional qualifications. The census of England and Wales from 2021 showed that 743 thousand lives in this country. people born in Poland, of which 637 thousand He declared that at least he speaks English well. Paweł Labaj was deliberately looking for a job in which he would contact people in English. He says that he often asked his colleagues to explain his songs of the Westlife song to him to additionally enroll the language.
Continuation of the material under the video
Others, after a period of transitional work, returned to the competition they performed before leaving the country. Marta Kalemba, who after arriving in Great Britain initially employed at the chicken factory, eventually arranged all the formalities and confirmed the qualifications acquired in Poland. He currently runs an accounting office in West Midlands.
In general, however, there are many indications that the trend has turned around – Poles seem to leave Great Britain. Since 2017, the number of people of Polish nationalities employed in this country has fallen by almost a quarter. Marta Kalemba suggests that migrants who, like her joined the British middle class, are more often in Great Britain. However, some people performing physical work come to the conclusion that today it can earn almost the same in Poland, which is developing more and more.
Since 2004, the median salary in this country has increased from 52 percent. British level to 71 percent According to purchasing power parity.
Brexit changes
People who, after 2004, emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe for profit, They were part of a huge migration wave that has already broken down.
From the moment the EU leaves Great Britain in 2020, the British government treats Poles and newcomers from other European countries in the same way as migrants from Pakistan or Paraguay, requiring them to meet the remuneration thresholds [żeby otrzymać w Wielkiej Brytanii podstawowy typ wizy pracowniczej dla wykwalifikowanych pracowników Skilled Worker, trzeba osiągać minimalne wynagrodzenie w wysokości 38 tys. 700 funtów rocznie brutto, ok. 194 tys. 421 zł]. Last year, only 1,200 Poles received work permit in this country.
“This may be another explanation of the increase in their salaries,” says Christian Dustmann, an economist at the University College London. Other groups of employees – consisting of native British and immigrants outside the EU – are dominated by young people. And they usually earn less, which reduces the average salaries in their groups. Poles in Great Britain often live for a long time, learn English and gain experience. Their children born in Great Britain in tax data are usually classified as people born in this country.
The example of Poles reveals the fundamental truth about the experiences of immigrants in Great Britain. In many cases, after arriving in this country, they learn English and advance from one work to another, usually better. It is often difficult to see, because new newcomers are still coming to the country who do not know the language or rules prevailing in a given country. However, the stories of Poles pay attention to this process.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
