Report shows immigrants work more, earn less

The average immigrant in Ireland works longer hours per week and gets paid less than Irish workers, a new report has revealed.

According to the ERSI, foreign workers earn 14 per cent less than their Irish counterparts, which could be due to differences in qualifications in work experiences.

"If this is the case it may reduce the advantage that Ireland derived from immigration in the mid-1990s," the report said.

However, when it comes to putting in the hours, non-EU workers are outdoing Irish and other EU employees.

The largest difference was for professional workers, where non-EU professionals worked an average of 10 hours more per week. In the health sector, non-EU nationals worked 15.7 hours more than other employees per week.

Non EU-immigrants accounted for 3 per cent of the Irish population in 1998, a figure that rose to 5 per cent by 2002.

Speculation that the slowing economy may reduce immigration may prove to be unfounded, the report said. "Employers may acquire a preference for foreign workers because of their willingness to accept lower wages and poorer working conditions.

"If this happens a slackening in the labour market may have very little effect on employers' demand for foreign workers."

Growing multiculturalism is fuelling racism in Ireland, the report also said, but measures have been taken to combat the problem, including the establishment of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and the adoption of anti-racist codes of practice in the media and politics.

However, society needs to accept that immigration is needed to fill shortages in the workforce, the research group said.

The ESRI noted that an ethnic minority media has also begun to emerge, with some parts of Irish media appointing special correspondents to cover racial affairs.

However, ethnic minorities feel they are being left out in the cold when it comes to politics. "Research shows that there is a need for the main political parties to take active steps to encourage immigrants to participate in politics," the report said.

The report also notes the difference in support systems between migrant workers and asylum seekers, with the latter getting better support than migrant workers to help them to integrate into the community.

"The government's direct provision system for asylum seekers provides their accommodation, food and other needs through the Reception and Integration Agency," the ESRI said.

"Some aspects of direct provision have been criticised but the way in which support should be provided for asylum seekers and refugees leaves little room for manoeuvre as other disadvantaged groups claim that they do not receive the same level of official support."