Commenting on the figures, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said:
"This is the sharpest increase in A8 migration since the boom year of 2007. The fact that it has occurred despite measures to restrict benefits underlines the need for Britain to renegotiate with the EU about the terms of free movement of workers."
Note to Editors:
ONS Labour Force Survey estimates that there were 861,000 A8 born in employment in Quarter 2 2014, an increase of 178,000 on the year. This is the second largest annual increase in A8 employment. The largest annual increase in employment occurred in Q2 2007 when A8 employment increased by 183,000 in a year. URL: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/august-2014/table-emp06.xls