Where did the idea come from?
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2025 9:05 am
What is the Changing Perceptions Challenge and
Ben BrindleThe UK Data Service has recently launched the Changing Perceptions Challenge, a competition that encourages sixth form and college students to engage with data-driven research and think creatively about changing public perceptions of immigration and the economy. The competition was dreamt up by Data Impact Fellow, Ben Brindle, and here he explains where the idea came from and how students will benefit from taking part.
A bit of background: my PhD research
In recent years, immigration has risen to the top of canada rcs data the political agenda: the UK public has consistently named it as one of the most important issues facing the country over the past decade, in part due to a concern that it harms the wages and employment of workers. In turn, these concerns have led to far-reaching social and economic changes, including the Conservative Party pledge to reduce migration to the tens-of-thousands; the rise of the UK Independence Party; and the decision to leave the European Union in 2016.
As an economics student, it was the latter change that piqued my interest in the question of how immigration affects workers and led me to write about how wages are impacted in my undergraduate and masters dissertations. But I quickly found that while sections of the UK public believe immigration is bad for workers’ wages and employment, the academic research I read – and indeed the results I produced – consistently showed this not to be the case.
Ben BrindleThe UK Data Service has recently launched the Changing Perceptions Challenge, a competition that encourages sixth form and college students to engage with data-driven research and think creatively about changing public perceptions of immigration and the economy. The competition was dreamt up by Data Impact Fellow, Ben Brindle, and here he explains where the idea came from and how students will benefit from taking part.
A bit of background: my PhD research
In recent years, immigration has risen to the top of canada rcs data the political agenda: the UK public has consistently named it as one of the most important issues facing the country over the past decade, in part due to a concern that it harms the wages and employment of workers. In turn, these concerns have led to far-reaching social and economic changes, including the Conservative Party pledge to reduce migration to the tens-of-thousands; the rise of the UK Independence Party; and the decision to leave the European Union in 2016.
As an economics student, it was the latter change that piqued my interest in the question of how immigration affects workers and led me to write about how wages are impacted in my undergraduate and masters dissertations. But I quickly found that while sections of the UK public believe immigration is bad for workers’ wages and employment, the academic research I read – and indeed the results I produced – consistently showed this not to be the case.