Commissioned research for the Migration Advisory Committee's first recommended shortage occupation lists

This page contains the research commisioned by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to inform the compilation of its first recommended shortage occupation lists for the UK and for Scotland, published in September 2008.

In considering which occupations to include on the lists, the MAC took a wide range of evidence into account. Part of this evidence came from the following commissioned research.

York Consulting

A Review of Labour Shortages, Skills Shortages and Skill Gaps (PDF 469K, opens in a new window)

This paper reviewed the literature on the definitions and measurement of skills shortages, and made recommendations on how the MAC might use these in its work.

IFF Research

Customised Assessment and Analysis of National Employers Skills Survey data (PDF 1.69M, opens in a new window)

This project enabled the MAC to use employer skills survey data in its analysis of shortages.

COMPAS, University of Oxford

A review of the micro-level determinants of employer demand for migrant labour and the alternatives available for filling shortages

COMPAS coordinated this work and produced an overview paper (Anderson and Ruhs, 2008) (PDF 336k, opens in a new window). In addition, sector papers were produced which examined staff shortages and immigration in the following sectors: