Alan Manning
@alanmanning4.bsky.social
Labour market economist at CEP and LSE. Personal views only
Pinned
Alan Manning
@alanmanning4.bsky.social
· Nov 27
Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better
Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better, Immigration policy will never satisfy everyone. It’s a stubborn fact that more people will want to move to high-income countries than residen...
www.politybooks.com
Shameless self-publicity. My new book "Why Immigration Policy Is Hard And How To Make It Better" is out.
www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
If you want to know what I really think then you will have to read my book 'Why Immigration Policy is Hard and How To Make It Better' www.waterstones.com/book/why-imm...
Why Immigration Policy Is Hard by Alan Manning | Waterstones
Buy Why Immigration Policy Is Hard by Alan Manning from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.
www.waterstones.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:45 AM
If you want to know what I really think then you will have to read my book 'Why Immigration Policy is Hard and How To Make It Better' www.waterstones.com/book/why-imm...
I've heard all publicity is good publicity but this is awful spin on my views. Yes, I think social care visa was a mistake but I wld not use term 'mass migration', don't think all migration is fiscally negative in the long-run. Cld go on but no more words.. www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
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www.telegraph.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 10:45 AM
I've heard all publicity is good publicity but this is awful spin on my views. Yes, I think social care visa was a mistake but I wld not use term 'mass migration', don't think all migration is fiscally negative in the long-run. Cld go on but no more words.. www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
I can believe rising racial abuse in NHS is a serious problem needing attention but to write an article saying declining number of new migrant healthcare workers is about declining supply without mentioning declining demand seems strange to me www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Rising racism blamed for collapse in number of foreign nurses coming to UK
Number of overseas nurses and midwives registered between April and September was half that of a year ago
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
I can believe rising racial abuse in NHS is a serious problem needing attention but to write an article saying declining number of new migrant healthcare workers is about declining supply without mentioning declining demand seems strange to me www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Alan Manning
Hello and welcome to all our new followers 👋
To ensure you're getting all the best analysis and insights, we've made a starter pack of all our staff on Bluesky. Make sure to give them a follow too ⤵️
go.bsky.app/5Anuz76
To ensure you're getting all the best analysis and insights, we've made a starter pack of all our staff on Bluesky. Make sure to give them a follow too ⤵️
go.bsky.app/5Anuz76
November 12, 2024 at 10:52 AM
Hello and welcome to all our new followers 👋
To ensure you're getting all the best analysis and insights, we've made a starter pack of all our staff on Bluesky. Make sure to give them a follow too ⤵️
go.bsky.app/5Anuz76
To ensure you're getting all the best analysis and insights, we've made a starter pack of all our staff on Bluesky. Make sure to give them a follow too ⤵️
go.bsky.app/5Anuz76
Reposted by Alan Manning
📢 Book launch this evening
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss
Register👉 buff.ly/0jtepcy
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss
Register👉 buff.ly/0jtepcy
December 4, 2025 at 12:09 PM
📢 Book launch this evening
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss
Register👉 buff.ly/0jtepcy
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss
Register👉 buff.ly/0jtepcy
Reposted by Alan Manning
Immigration policy is hard, involving difficult decisions and trade-offs. But, as Alan Manning makes clear, this doesn't mean that we can't do better.
'Why Immigration Policy Is Hard' is an indispensable resource for informed debate on one of the most charged subjects in public life.
'Why Immigration Policy Is Hard' is an indispensable resource for informed debate on one of the most charged subjects in public life.
November 28, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Immigration policy is hard, involving difficult decisions and trade-offs. But, as Alan Manning makes clear, this doesn't mean that we can't do better.
'Why Immigration Policy Is Hard' is an indispensable resource for informed debate on one of the most charged subjects in public life.
'Why Immigration Policy Is Hard' is an indispensable resource for informed debate on one of the most charged subjects in public life.
Shameless self-publicity. My new book "Why Immigration Policy Is Hard And How To Make It Better" is out.
www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better
Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better, Immigration policy will never satisfy everyone. It’s a stubborn fact that more people will want to move to high-income countries than residen...
www.politybooks.com
November 27, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Shameless self-publicity. My new book "Why Immigration Policy Is Hard And How To Make It Better" is out.
www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
Reposted by Alan Manning
📖Book launch next week📖
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social and @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss.
Register➡️ buff.ly/0jtepcy
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social and @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss.
Register➡️ buff.ly/0jtepcy
November 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM
📖Book launch next week📖
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social and @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss.
Register➡️ buff.ly/0jtepcy
In his latest book, @alanmanning4.bsky.social makes the case that while immigration policy will never satisfy everyone, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done much better.
Join Alan, @ruthcurtice.bsky.social and @stephenkb.bsky.social to discuss.
Register➡️ buff.ly/0jtepcy
Reposted by Alan Manning
Excellent column from @stephenkb.bsky.social on what
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
Labour needs a way out of the infernal circle of immigration policy
Politics today is about ‘open vs closed’, but the UK government’s approach risks appeasing no one
www.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Excellent column from @stephenkb.bsky.social on what
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
Not sure it’s analogous to other services exports as students are resident with costs of providing public infrastructure as OBR recognises that unis don’t pay. Can debate whether levy too high or low but closer perhaps to hotel tourist tax which is meant to cover public costs associated with stay.
November 15, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Not sure it’s analogous to other services exports as students are resident with costs of providing public infrastructure as OBR recognises that unis don’t pay. Can debate whether levy too high or low but closer perhaps to hotel tourist tax which is meant to cover public costs associated with stay.
Reposted by Alan Manning
NEW EPISODE
Can Britain break out of migration madness? Former head of the Migration Advisory Committee Prof Alan Manning joins us to talk about the “infernal cycle” of migration policy … whether Labour really are just trying to outbid the Tories and Reform 👉 linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...
#ukpolitics
Can Britain break out of migration madness? Former head of the Migration Advisory Committee Prof Alan Manning joins us to talk about the “infernal cycle” of migration policy … whether Labour really are just trying to outbid the Tories and Reform 👉 linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...
#ukpolitics
October 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM
NEW EPISODE
Can Britain break out of migration madness? Former head of the Migration Advisory Committee Prof Alan Manning joins us to talk about the “infernal cycle” of migration policy … whether Labour really are just trying to outbid the Tories and Reform 👉 linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...
#ukpolitics
Can Britain break out of migration madness? Former head of the Migration Advisory Committee Prof Alan Manning joins us to talk about the “infernal cycle” of migration policy … whether Labour really are just trying to outbid the Tories and Reform 👉 linktr.ee/ohgodwhatnow...
#ukpolitics
Lots of articles in recent weeks - including the FT - abt the public conflating immigration as a whole with asylum-seekers. But then we have headlines like this...
www.ft.com/content/b9da...
www.ft.com/content/b9da...
Asylum seekers to be housed in barracks as Keir Starmer seeks to tackle immigration
UK government confirms it is looking at interpretation of ECHR after prime minister carries out cabinet reshuffle
www.ft.com
September 10, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Lots of articles in recent weeks - including the FT - abt the public conflating immigration as a whole with asylum-seekers. But then we have headlines like this...
www.ft.com/content/b9da...
www.ft.com/content/b9da...
Isn’t it arguable that it was the liberalisations of the Tories under Boris (later partially reversed) that contributed to their destruction.
September 5, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Isn’t it arguable that it was the liberalisations of the Tories under Boris (later partially reversed) that contributed to their destruction.
Yet another article about worker shortages that fails to tell us about offered pay and conditions. Please journalist - just ask. Or, failing that, look at online job ads. Its not hard. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Dairy farmers say worker shortage is threatening UK food security
The Arla cooperative says five in six farmers receive very few or zero applications for job vacancies
www.theguardian.com
August 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Yet another article about worker shortages that fails to tell us about offered pay and conditions. Please journalist - just ask. Or, failing that, look at online job ads. Its not hard. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Alan Manning
In a new blog @alanmanning4.bsky.social explains why change was needed to the "seriously flawed" social care visa route and how the government now needs to deliver on its promise to make care work a more attractive job.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/poli...
blogs.lse.ac.uk/poli...
Why the social care visa had to go - British Politics and Policy at LSE
Labour's immigration White Paper has proposed closing the social care visa route for workers from overseas. This was a needed change to a flawed system.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
May 14, 2025 at 12:05 PM
In a new blog @alanmanning4.bsky.social explains why change was needed to the "seriously flawed" social care visa route and how the government now needs to deliver on its promise to make care work a more attractive job.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/poli...
blogs.lse.ac.uk/poli...
Why the social care visa had to go. TLDR; in long-run it’s an expensive and ineffective way to hire care workers.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...
blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
May 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Why the social care visa had to go. TLDR; in long-run it’s an expensive and ineffective way to hire care workers.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...
blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...
Great to finally see data like this being published. Though more data means more opportunities for cherry-picking so look out for that. www.gov.uk/government/p...
Sponsored Work and Family visa earnings, employment and Income Tax
www.gov.uk
May 13, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Great to finally see data like this being published. Though more data means more opportunities for cherry-picking so look out for that. www.gov.uk/government/p...
Great to hear from @sarahoconnorft.ft.com ft.ft.com
abt what happened to the UK truck driver shortage. Short-run: higher pay helped a lot. Medium-run: still structural issues making it hard to offer competitive pay and conditions.
www.ft.com/content/f320...
abt what happened to the UK truck driver shortage. Short-run: higher pay helped a lot. Medium-run: still structural issues making it hard to offer competitive pay and conditions.
www.ft.com/content/f320...
Whatever happened to the great truck driver shortage?
The underlying problems behind the crisis have not yet been resolved
www.ft.com
February 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Great to hear from @sarahoconnorft.ft.com ft.ft.com
abt what happened to the UK truck driver shortage. Short-run: higher pay helped a lot. Medium-run: still structural issues making it hard to offer competitive pay and conditions.
www.ft.com/content/f320...
abt what happened to the UK truck driver shortage. Short-run: higher pay helped a lot. Medium-run: still structural issues making it hard to offer competitive pay and conditions.
www.ft.com/content/f320...
Reposted by Alan Manning
1/ 🚨 New paper! 🚨
How do the economic trajectories of children of immigrants vary across 15 high-income countries? We study intergenerational mobility of immigrants, using individual-level linked parent-child data across Europe, North America, and beyond. 🧵👇 #EconSky
How do the economic trajectories of children of immigrants vary across 15 high-income countries? We study intergenerational mobility of immigrants, using individual-level linked parent-child data across Europe, North America, and beyond. 🧵👇 #EconSky
February 21, 2025 at 11:44 AM
1/ 🚨 New paper! 🚨
How do the economic trajectories of children of immigrants vary across 15 high-income countries? We study intergenerational mobility of immigrants, using individual-level linked parent-child data across Europe, North America, and beyond. 🧵👇 #EconSky
How do the economic trajectories of children of immigrants vary across 15 high-income countries? We study intergenerational mobility of immigrants, using individual-level linked parent-child data across Europe, North America, and beyond. 🧵👇 #EconSky
Latest paper on comparing intergenerational mobility of the kids of migrants with kids of locals in 15 countries. It has a very long author list so I feel like a real scientist at last. www.iza.org/publications...
docs.iza.org
February 18, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Latest paper on comparing intergenerational mobility of the kids of migrants with kids of locals in 15 countries. It has a very long author list so I feel like a real scientist at last. www.iza.org/publications...
Good to see this happening. Important to have right not rushed decision. And that the labour market in social care is part of remit as current model doesn’t work. Lab mkt wasn’t really in Dilnot report as not part of their commission www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Cross-party talks on adult social care reform in England to start next month
Wes Streeting hit back at claims that Casey commission would take too long to act, saying ‘it’s reporting next year’
www.theguardian.com
January 3, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Good to see this happening. Important to have right not rushed decision. And that the labour market in social care is part of remit as current model doesn’t work. Lab mkt wasn’t really in Dilnot report as not part of their commission www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
New discussion paper with @tessahall.bsky.social on immigration and productivity.
TLDR;
Evidence consistent with view nothing especially good (or bad) about migrants; they are only human
cep.lse.ac.uk/_NEW/PUBLICA...
TLDR;
Evidence consistent with view nothing especially good (or bad) about migrants; they are only human
cep.lse.ac.uk/_NEW/PUBLICA...
Only human? Immigration and firm productivity in Britain
This paper estimates the impact of migration on productivity by estimating production functions for British firms. We find that much of the apparent higher productivity of migrants is the result of sorting across areas, industries, and firms. If we include firm fixed effects, the estimated productivity advantage of migrants over locals is not significantly different from zero. One possible interpretation of our results is that migrants and locals with similar skills are equally productive; there is nothing distinctive about migrants. However, since productivity estimates are imprecise after controlling for firm fixed effects, we also can't reject the hypothesis that migrants and locals differ in their productivity.
cep.lse.ac.uk
December 12, 2024 at 4:20 PM
New discussion paper with @tessahall.bsky.social on immigration and productivity.
TLDR;
Evidence consistent with view nothing especially good (or bad) about migrants; they are only human
cep.lse.ac.uk/_NEW/PUBLICA...
TLDR;
Evidence consistent with view nothing especially good (or bad) about migrants; they are only human
cep.lse.ac.uk/_NEW/PUBLICA...
Good col from @sarahoconnorft.bsky.social. I think a lot of motivated reasoning on immig. Too many commentators start from view immig is good (or bad), then use any argument that comes to mind to make preferred case without bothering much about intellectual inconsistency
www.ft.com/content/2bb6...
www.ft.com/content/2bb6...
Economists need to get their story straight on immigration
Focusing on the impact on the wages or employment levels of native workers is too narrow
www.ft.com
December 10, 2024 at 12:16 PM
Good col from @sarahoconnorft.bsky.social. I think a lot of motivated reasoning on immig. Too many commentators start from view immig is good (or bad), then use any argument that comes to mind to make preferred case without bothering much about intellectual inconsistency
www.ft.com/content/2bb6...
www.ft.com/content/2bb6...
I think this might be the first sighting of the word monopsony in the Guardian. Though it’s in inverted commas so some way still to acceptance. amp.theguardian.com/sport/2024/o...
Explained: why the UFC is set to pay $260m to fighters after a decade-long lawsuit | UFC | The Guardian
A judge has granted preliminary approval for a settlement between the MMA promotion and fighters who claim they were underpaid. Here’s what happened
amp.theguardian.com
October 25, 2024 at 11:27 AM
I think this might be the first sighting of the word monopsony in the Guardian. Though it’s in inverted commas so some way still to acceptance. amp.theguardian.com/sport/2024/o...
Reposted by Alan Manning
“There is legitimate concern that zero-hours contracts are used to shift risk from employers onto lower-paid workers” @alanmanning4.bsky.social
in CentrePiece magazine:
cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/d...
in CentrePiece magazine:
cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/d...
October 18, 2024 at 4:00 PM
“There is legitimate concern that zero-hours contracts are used to shift risk from employers onto lower-paid workers” @alanmanning4.bsky.social
in CentrePiece magazine:
cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/d...
in CentrePiece magazine:
cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/d...