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Plans to restrict the number of skilled British jobs going to foreign workers have been unveiled by home secretary Alan Johnson.
Firms are to be required to advertise jobs in the UK for a month prior to recruiting workers from outside Europe, in a bid to protect British workers from the impact of the recession.
At present, companies only have to advertise for two weeks in the UK before they can offer the role to workers from outside of the European Union.
As of next year, all jobs will have to be listed in Jobcentre Plus for one month, in a bid to "ensure that British workers are not only first in line for jobs but also now have more time in which to apply".
And there is to be an increase in the salary that employers have to offer to someone who enters Britain as a skilled worker, rising from £17,000 a year to £20,000.
The measures are among 16 proposals put forward by the Migration Advisory Committee amid concerns that the recession is increasing resentment against workers from overseas.
The announcement follows the dispute at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire earlier this year.
Launching the scheme, Johnson explained: "We have now accepted all of the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations and we will continue to work with them to make sure that we use the flexibility in the points based system to the best advantage of society and the economy.
"These changes will ensure that businesses can recruit the skilled foreign workers that the economy needs, but not at the expense of British workers, nor as a cheaper alternative to investing in the skills of the existing workforce."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd