The latest ADR England Data Insight explores wage progression and labour market integration of migrant workers. This work demonstrates the analytical potential of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) linked with the Migrant Workers Scan (MWS) dataset, and shows how linked data can be used to explore long-term employment outcomes for migrants in a robust and policy-relevant way.
The Linkage
The Migrant Workers Scan is an administrative register that records all non-UK nationals who register for a National Insurance number in order to work in the UK. It provides reliable information on migrants’ arrival dates, nationality, age and gender, but contains no information on earnings.
ASHE, by contrast, is the UK’s most valued source for earnings data, offering detailed and longitudinal information on pay, hours, occupations and industries for a 1% sample of employee jobs.
Linking these two datasets makes it possible to follow migrant workers’ earnings trajectories over time, something that is difficult to do using survey data alone. The resulting ASHE–MWS dataset is now available to accredited researchers, including as part of the ADR Research Fellowships.
The Findings
The Data Insight uses the linked ASHE–MWS data to track migrants’ real hourly wages one, three, five, seven and ten years after their arrival in the UK. It also compares these patterns with those observed for non-migrant workers.
Read the Data Insight publication here.
The following findings emerge:
- Real hourly wages of migrant workers generally increase with time spent in the UK.
- Wage growth is strongest between one and three years after arrival, with growth continuing in later years at a slower pace.
- Across many arrival cohorts, real hourly pay observed ten years after arrival is higher than that recorded one year after arrival.
- Earlier cohorts, particularly those arriving in the early 2000s, often show greater cumulative wage growth over time than non-migrant workers.
- For more recent cohorts, early wage growth is similar to that of non-migrants, while longer-term growth is often lower.
- Analysis of migrant characteristics shows changes over time in country of origin, age, gender and region of residence. Where comparable measures are available, similar trends are observed when results are compared with the Annual Population Survey.
The analysis also shows how migrant characteristics such as age, gender, country of origin and region of residence have evolved over time, and demonstrates that trends observed in the linked ASHE–MWS data broadly align with those seen in survey data such as the Annual Population Survey.
This research demonstrates the value of linking administrative datasets to examine labour market outcomes over time. By combining information on arrival and migration status with detailed earnings data, the ASHE–MWS linkage supports analysis that would not be possible using a single source.
ADR Research Fellowships
The ASHE-MWS linked data are available for use as part of the ADR Research Fellowships, along with all other ADR Flagship datasets. This includes the ASHE-HMRC and ASHE-Census 2011 linkages.
The deadline for applications is 26th February 2026- find out more here.
Accessing the data and other useful links.
Accredited researchers can apply to access the ASHE linked to MWS dataset via the ONS Research Accreditation Service.
You can find a blog which explores the incredible research potential presented by this new linked dataset here.
Additionally, you can find out more about the value and uses of administrative data here.
And finally, you can find the documentation relating to these data here, including a user guide and full variable lists.