Recent headline job numbers tell a welcome story of rising employment but they mask a growing living standards crisis. The latest figures show employment has reached a new record of 75.1% and the unemployment rate is just 4.4%. But workers are feeling the pinch with wages rising slower than the cost of living for the…
The ONS release on the number of zero-hours contracts yesterday showed that there has a been a fall of 20,000 over the year. This is the first fall we have seen in the data series. However, at 2%, this is a drop in the ocean. There are still around 900,000 of these controversial contracts. Numbers on zero-hour…
The growth of insecure work has exacerbated the inequalities that Black, Asian and minority (BAME) ethnic workers already face. The experience of insecure work differs between different ethnic groups, but the overall pattern is one in which BAME workers are significantly disadvantaged in the labour market. Previous TUC analysis showed that there are 3.2 million…
New analysis by the TUC shows that if current trends continue, 290,000 more people could be trapped in insecure work by 2022. The figures show that by the start of 2022, 3.5 million people could be in insecure work such as zero-hours contracts, temporary or agency work, and low-paid self-employment.
The North East is becoming England’s hot spot for insecure work with two out of three new jobs in the last five years falling into this category. One in nine workers in the region are now in insecure jobs: seasonal, casual, temporary or agency work, including zero-hours contracts and low-paid self-employed roles. The TUC estimates…
Employment is at record levels but despite much talk of economic rebalancing and regional powerhouses, TUC analysis has found that employment growth in London has rocketed ahead of the rest of England since the recession. We also conclude that London has had: the highest growth in employee jobs the smallest loss in public sector jobs and…
The next set of labour market data is out next Wednesday. This blog looks at recent trends in the figures to give some pointers as to what we should be looking out for. In summary, our view of the labour market hasn’t changed much; the headline employment figures are strong, but we’re seeing a growth…
The number of people in insecure work, those working without guaranteed hours or baseline employment rights, has rapidly increased by more than 660,000 (27%) over the past five years. The TUC estimates that over 3 million people now work in insecure jobs; this represents 1 in 10 workers in the UK. In new analysis, we…
The rise in self – employment is well documented, the surge is extraordinary as self-employment is a relatively small part of the UK jobs market. More striking is that whilst women account for just under a third of all the self- employed, they have made up over half (53 per cent) of the increase in…
The employment rate at 74.1 per cent is at record levels, and the unemployment rate at 5.1 per cent has returned to pre-recession levels. These are strong employment figures, yet while the numbers are healthy there are still concerns about the quality of employment. Initially the argument in response to the growth in zero hour…