Record numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians have taken jobs in Britain since January 1 – despite assurances by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Labour MPs that there would be no major influx.

Concerns that thousands from the Eastern European countries would come to the UK after the lifting of employment restrictions were dismissed by the Left as ‘scaremongering’.

But figures released yesterday show those in jobs have soared to 189,000 – up 42,000 from the start of the year to September.

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The total number of people in work rose by 2.3 per cent year-on-year, but surged by 34.9 per cent among those born in Romania and Bulgaria

The employment rate has hit 73 per cent, within touching distance of the record 73.2 per cent seen in 2005

It means 2014 levels are on course to meet forecasts by Sir Andrew Green, chairman of think-tank MigrationWatchUK, that 50,000 a year from Romania and Bulgaria would seek work in the UK.

The Office for National Statistics data increased fears that an influx from Eastern Europe will place extra demands on Britain’s schools, healthcare and the welfare state while also forcing down wages.

When Labour MP Keith Vaz greeted the first migrants at Luton Airport on New Year’s Day, he said those criticising free access to jobs should ‘apologise’.

Lib Dem Mr Cable said the idea of tens of thousands ‘pouring off the planes from the Balkans was just a scare story’.

The ONS figures revealed a surge of 312,000 people born overseas finding jobs in Britain in the year to September – a blow to the Government’s aims to slow immigration.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s pledge to reduce annual arrivals to below 100,000 by 2015 was last night in tatters.

Pay has risen faster than inflation for the first time in five years, meaning families could start to feel better off

Workers in the private sector, especially manufacturing, saw the biggest rises in pay, the ONS said

The figures do not include the unemployed or dependent relatives of immigrant workers. ONS figures also revealed 131,000 newcomers from outside the EU found jobs in the UK in the 12 months to September, taking the total to 2.9million.

From within the EU, where residents have full freedom of movement and access to work, 181,000 found jobs in Britain over the same period, a rise of 11 per cent to nearly 1.82million.

It included a huge number from Poland and other former Eastern Bloc countries that joined the EU in May 2004.

There was a 42,000 fall in workers from western Europe, including Italy, France and Germany, despite the economic crisis in the Eurozone appearing as severe as ever.

Sir Andrew said: ‘There seems to be no evidence of a decline in EU migration as the year-on-year trend is upwards.’

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Theresa May attempted to downgrade Mr Cameron’s promise to cut annual net migration to tens of thousands in this parliament, saying it had been a ‘comment’.

The Prime Minister wants to change free movement rules so poorer nations must reach a level of economic prosperity before they can access other countries’ jobs. But he faces obstacles in Brussels.

On average people in the UK worked a total of 987,854,908 each week in September, the data reveals

The figures are a boost for Chancellor George Osborne who will hope to create a 'feel-good factor' in the run-up to the general election in May next year

Amid mounting worries, ministers have introduced measures to prevent EU migrants from claiming unemployment benefits for their first three months here.

Steven Woolfe, Ukip’s migration spokesman, said the party’s concerns about removing controls on Bulgaria and Romania ‘have become a reality’, adding: ‘We were accused of scaremongering but now these figures show that immigration from both countries has reached a new high.’

Immigration minister James Brokenshire said two-thirds of employment growth in the last year was accounted for by UK citizens.

He added that the Government’s immigration policies are ‘benefiting UK nationals first, while still attracting skilled migrants where needed’.

But Sir John Major will use a speech in Berlin today to insist the right to free movement should be checked in the renegotiation of Britain’s EU membership proposed by David Cameron.