EU Migrants '2% of NI Workforce'
Wednesday 30 April
Eastern Europeans make up 2% of the working population of
The highest percentage registered to work is in Dungannon. The lowest figure is in Larne.
The government figures do not account for European Union migrants who have returned home or who might be working but are not on the register.
The Institute for Public Policy Research commissioned the report which spans 2004 to 2007.
One of its authors, Danny Sriskandarajah, said migrants made a valuable contribution to the economy.
Commenting on the high number of EU migrant workers in Dungannon, he said: "Those employers who have been crying out for lots of workers have got access to people who want to do it.
"I think what we have is a complimentary business where those people are working hard and growing the local economy."
'Settled'
Overall, the findings suggest Eastern European nationals have settled more widely throughout the
Even areas which had not traditionally attracted migrants, such as
Poles are now the largest foreign national group in the
They had been the 13th largest group in early 2004, the report said, but had replaced people born in
The research, released to the BBC, looked at migrants who came from eight countries that joined the European Union in May 2004 -
It also included migrants from
Story from BBC NEWS
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7374766.stm