London’s army of migrant workers contribute an average of almost £50,000 each to the capital’s economy annually, according to new research.
It found that there are around 1.8 million full-time migrant workers in London, almost 40 per cent of the total.
Workers from EU countries make up 13 per cent and those from outside the EU 25 per cent.
Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of business group London First, which commissioned the research from consultants PwC, said the findings showed the vital importance of migrant workers to the capital’s £350 billion a year economy.
She said: “Let’s face facts, migrants are keeping London running, they are part of the London success story. One of the myths is that they are taking jobs from UK born citizens and this study shows that is simply not the case.”
It comes after peers in the House of Lords defied Prime Minister Theresa May to vote in favour of guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit.
The Government said the vote was "disappointing" and is expected to try to reverse the result when the bill returns to the Commons.
Despite the setback, ministers are confident they remain on course to meet Mrs May's deadline for invoking Article 50 - marking the start of the formal process of EU withdrawal - by the end of March.
