The Telegraph misstates skilled worker salaries in immigration analysis

The Telegraph has admitted to a significant error in its coverage of immigration and salaries, raising fresh concerns about how sensitive debates on migration are framed in the press.

In a September 12 article headlined “We’re running out of time to stop post-Covid mass migration from becoming permanent,” the paper claimed that nearly three quarters of immigrants on skilled worker visas in 2022–23 earned below the average UK salary. The assertion was presented as fact, giving the impression of a migrant workforce undercutting domestic pay at scale.

The underlying research, however, did not provide evidence of actual earnings. Instead, it looked at how many visas were issued for different job categories and compared those roles with salary data for the wider occupations. This means the correct interpretation was that visa holders were likely to earn below the national average, not that they categorically did so.

That nuance matters. Immigration pay data is already politically charged, with critics often citing lower wages as proof that migration is harming the UK workforce. By misstating likelihood as certainty, the article risked feeding into that narrative without the evidentiary backing, in effect inflating anxieties about economic pressures tied to post-pandemic migration.

The Telegraph issued a correction on September 30, acknowledging that its original phrasing was inaccurate and confirming that it was “happy to correct the record.”