The Danish companies have seriously become aware of the import of manpower. The number of new work permits for foreign nationals have increased by 57 per cent during the first three quarters of the year to 22,238 persons compared with the same period last year, show new figures from Statistics Denmark that Børsen Business Daily is publishing.

“We estimate that approximately 20 per cent of the entire job increase in Danish economy in 2007 can be explained by the import of foreign manpower. Looking at the eastern labourers from the new EU countries alone they represent one tenth of the entire growth rate in Danish economy of 60,000 persons this year,” says economist Frederik I. Pedersen from the Economic Council of the Labour Movement (AE).

The new figures from Statistics Denmark include all kinds of foreign manpower inclusive of eastern labourers, specialists, commuters and the EU citizens.

During the third quarter alone 9,829 new work permits were issued to foreigners and this indicates that it is no longer just agriculture and construction that have become aware of the foreign manpower. More and more sectors such as for example the IT are starting to recruit staff abroad.