Assimilation of the migrant work ethic

Over the last decade the UK has experienced unprecedented increases in migration associated with the 2004 A8 expansion of the EU. This paper studies the work ethic of these recent migrants by analysing worker absence data from the Labour Force Survey for the period 2005-2012. The results show that when A8 migrant workers first arrive in the UK they have substantially lower absenteeism than native workers, but importantly migrant absence levels assimilate within 4-7 years. If UK employers use this information to make hiring decisions, then unusually productive native workers will suffer, this is however only likely to occur in the short term.