Joseph Rowntree Foundation report also finds nearly 30% of migrants wish to stay in UK

One third of male European migrants in the UK work in the construction sector, according to a new survey.

The survey, conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2006, was based on almost 400 interviews with new migrants from Eastern Europeans.

Construction is the most popular sector for male migrants from Eastern Europe, with 33% working in the industry. The next most popular sector is hospitality, which employs 16% of male workers.

Only 64 people (16%) of those interviewed were working illegally, and the report acknowledged this group was most likely to be working in construction.

The Foundation also conducted a survey into community cohesion which found that one in four migrants spends no time with British people, with 30% saying Britons did not treat them as equals.

However, a growing number of migrants said they wished to stay in the UK. 29% of those interviewed at the end of 2004 said they would stay in Britain “for good”, up from only 6% in 2002.

Only 3.6% of those interviewed were unemployed, with 60% in full-time employment.