Tracking Public Attitudes and Preferences for Post-COVID-19 Labour Migration Policies

How are public attitudes towards foreign-born labour changing, and how can they inform policymaking which supports national recovery efforts across employment sectors and geographic regions? Public opinion research, which shows how major events sometimes contribute to shifts in attitudes, is key for understanding changes in the social and economic fabric of a country. Tracking attitudes' composition across groups and places, as well as dynamics over time, can contribute to more effective migration and labour market policies that reflect public understandings and preferences. This is especially true in the current crisis: COVID-19 has already motivated changes in political and media discussions about migrant workers, especially towards those in key occupations that are now considered fundamental to the country's response to the pandemic. Migrant workers comprise sizable shares of these occupations, and, crucially, many have jobs deemed 'low-skilled' that would not have qualified for work visas under current labour migration policies. Shifts in media and political narratives could reflect-or indeed cause-deeper shifts in public opinion towards migrant labour at all skill levels. However, we still do not know the magnitude of this change, whether it is homogeneous across different regions and sectors of the population, and whether it is short lived or the beginning of a longer-lasting shift. Addressing these questions as post-pandemic events unfold-and as the government has re-introduced its proposed Immigration Bill with modifications-will be crucial for understanding the transformation of the UK's society and economy due to COVID-19.