The Complex Employment Experiences of Polish Migrants in the UK Labour Market

Ten years after the most significant enlargement of the European Union (EU), academics and policymakers are still trying to understand the complexities and the experiences of the largest migrant group, the Poles. The main destination for the Polish migrants in the post-2004 period was the United Kingdom (UK). Significant attention has been paid to the economic and political implications of introducing a young, economically motivated migrant group to the UK, particularly during the recession. In regards to their work experience, the majority of the existing literature focuses on Polish migrants who take low-skilled positions when initially entering the UK and, as a result, contribute to the migrant paradox with high-skilled migrants taking low-skilled positions. This article will contribute to the other literature, which focuses on the Polish migrants’ ascent up the division of labour in the non-ethnic economy of the destination country. Using data gathered through semi-structured interviews with post-enlargement Polish migrants in 2008 and 2011 in Cardiff, this ascent, and the migrants’ work experience, is charted through migrant trajectories that were constructed from similarities identified in the sample. The findings highlight that not all of the Polish migrants in the UK may be contributing to the migrant paradox with several low-skilled migrants advancing up the division of labour. These findings have implications for migration policy at both the EU and the national level, particularly with the continued enlargement of the EU.