Rhys Davies

Senior Research Fellow, WISERD Co-Director, Associate Director of ADR-Wales Cardiff University

DaviesOR@cardiff.ac.uk 02920870328

As an applied quantitative researcher, Rhys has undertaken a variety of research projects examining a variety of issues related to employment and the labour market.

This research has been based on large scale primary data collection, as well as conducting analysis on secondary and administrative data sources. As Associate Director of the Wales Administrative Data Research Centre, they are responsible for managing the User Support function of ADR-Wales.

Prior to joining WISERD, they worked at the Institute for Employment Research at Warwick University (1999-2006) and the Office for National Statistics (2006-09).

Rhys Davies Bio

Skills and Employment Survey 2023

Overview Given recent societal and policy changes, the UK faces an increased need to know how the world of work has changed. The overarching aim of the Skills and Employment Survey 2023 (SES2023) is to collect robust survey data on the skills and employment experiences of people aged 20-65 working in Britain in 2023. SES2023…

Research Team: Alan Felstead (Cardiff University), Curtis Jessop (NatCen Social Research), Duncan Gallie (University of Oxford), Francis Green (University College London), Golo Henseke (University College London), Joanna D'Ardenne (NatCen Social Research), Martin Wood (NatCen Social Research), Rhys Davies (Cardiff University), Ying Zhou (University of Surrey)

Continuity of learning in Wales: ‘Live’ analysis of digital learning

Summary Wales is unique in having a national digital platform for online teaching and learning – Hwb (https://hwb.gov.wales/). This means that all children in maintained schools in Wales login to and use Hwb to access learning materials provided to them by schools and teachers. This project will have unique access to data collected via Hwb…

Research Team: Catriona Dickson (Cardiff University), Chris Taylor (Cardiff University), Jennifer May Hampton (Cardiff University), Rhys Davies (Cardiff University), Samuel Jones (Cardiff University)

Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub

Commencing in January 2020, WISERD is part of an ESRC funded collaboration called the Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub. Led by Strathclyde University, PrOPEL Hub brings together five recently funded ESRC investments working in the area of productivity. The aim of PrOPEL Hub is to help boost productivity and wellbeing…

Research Team: Alan Felstead (Cardiff University), Rhys Davies (Cardiff University)

Trade unions, grass roots activism and solidarity

Trade unions, grass roots activism and solidarity uses case studies from Europe, India and the UK, to examine forms of worker representation that are directly related to the changing role of women in work and society, and associated issues of civic gain and expansion. Start date provided is that of the WISERD Civil Society Centre….

Research Team: Alex Bryson (Department of Social Science, UCL), Helen Blakely (Cardiff University), Jean Jenkins (Cardiff University), Rhys Davies (Cardiff University)

Machines, platforms and capabilities

Machines, platforms and capabilities utilises mixed methods to examine the significance of different sectors of the gig economy within local labour markets, and includes the study of co-operative alternatives to more dominant forms of platform capitalism. Start date provided is that of the WISERD Civil Society Centre. Work packages will have their own individual start…

Research Team: Helen Blakely (Cardiff University), Rhys Davies (Cardiff University), Wil Chivers (Cardiff University)

Reports and Briefings

Geographical Variations in Trade Union Membership: 2022 Edition

This Research Note presents new estimates of trade union membership derived for detailed geographical areas across Great Britain. Analysis reveals the wide variations in union density that exist both across the country and within particular regions. Over the period 2000-2021, union density is shown to vary between 10% in Kensington and Chelsea to 54% in…

Dataset

Geographical Variations in Trade Union Membership: 2022 Edition – Statistical Compendia

This Statistical Compendia is based on research supported by the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD). Those who wish to use this data should cite its source as: Davies R., Bryson A. and Jones S. (2022) Geographical Variations in Trade Union Membership – 2000-2021, Cardiff: Wales Institute of Social &…

Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing | September 2022

Reports and Briefings

Work in Wales, 2006-2017: Evidence from the Skills and Employment Survey Full Report

The Skills and Employment Survey 2017 is the seventh in a series of surveys of jobs in Britain, as reported by the workers who do them, stretching back over 30 years (the first took place in 1986). This report provides Wales specific analysis of the results of the 2006, 2012 and 2017 surveys, set against…

Work and Labour Markets | Skills and Employment Survey | April 2019

Reports and Briefings

Work in Wales, 2006-2017: Evidence from the Skills and Employment Survey Summary

This is a summary of the evidence from The Skills and Employment Survey 2017 and is the seventh in a series of surveys of jobs in Britain, as reported by the workers who do them, stretching back over 30 years (the first took place in 1986). This report provides Wales specific analysis of the results…

Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Skills and Employment Survey | April 2019

Journal Articles

Accounting for geographical variance in the union satisfaction gap

Evidence of spatial variance in the relationship between trade union membership and job satisfaction is limited. Using three nationally representative data sets, we examine lower levels of satisfaction among union members and considers how this relationship varies geographically across the nations and regions of Great Britain. The analysis demonstrates that the union satisfaction gap can…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing | March 2019

Journal Articles

Family, Place and the Intergenerational Transmission of Union Membership

This article examines the importance of family, gender and place to the intergenerational transmission of trade union membership. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey, we show that union membership among parents influences the union joining behaviour of young workers. These effects are particularly apparent among daughters and where both parents are members of…

Civil Society, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing | September 2018

Journal Articles

The Dynamics of Disability and Work in Britain

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between work-limiting disability and labour market outcomes using longitudinal data created by matching individuals in the Local Labour Force Survey (2004–10). By applying event-study methods, changes in employment are traced through the onset of, and exit from, disability. These relationships are examined between subgroups of the population, including those…

Inequalities, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Unlocking the potential of the Welsh Local Labour Force Survey: an investigation into labour market transitions in Wales | December 2016

Journal Articles

Do high-performance work practices exacerbate or mitigate the gender pay gap?

The impact of performance-oriented work practices on the gender pay gap has been the subject of considerable conjecture but little empirical investigation. Using the 2004 and 2011 British Workplace Employment Relations Surveys, the analysis finds that whilst average earnings are significantly higher for men and women across private sector workplaces that have introduced so-called high-performance…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | February 2015

Reports and Briefings

Evaluating the Foundation Phase: The outcomes of Foundation Phase pupils up to 2011/12 (Report 2)

The Foundation Phase is a Welsh Government flagship policy of early years education (for 3 to 7-year-old children) in Wales. Marking a radical departure from the more formal, competency-based approach associated with the previous Key Stage 1 National Curriculum, it advocates a developmental, experiential, play-based approach to teaching and learning. The Learning Country: a Paving…

Education | Evaluating the Foundation Phase | January 2015

Journal Articles

Age and Work-Related Health: Insights from the UK Labour Force Survey

Data from the UK Labour Force Survey (LFS) are used to examine two methodological issues in the analysis of the relationship between age and work-related health. First, the LFS is unusual in that it asks work-related health questions to those who are not currently employed. This facilitates a more representative analysis than that which is…

Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Analysis of the Correlates of Self Reported Work Related Illness in the Labour Force Survey | February 2014

Reports and Briefings

Overview of the Widening Access Database

The quantitative strand of the project will use a linked database of school and student records that has already been prepared by the Welsh Government. This database (subsequently referred to as the Widening Access Database) is based upon four linked administrative data-sets: the National Pupil Database (NPD) for Wales (including Pupil Level Annual Schools Census…

Data & Methods, Education | Impact and Effectiveness of Widening Access to Higher Education | January 2014

Presentation

Work, Skills and Well-being in Wales: First Findings from the Skills and Employment Survey 2012

A launch event for the study, entitled Work, Skills and Well-being in Wales: First Findings from the Skills and Employment Survey 2012, took place at Cardiff Universty on the 8th July 2013. The event was chaired by Professor Gareth Rees and included presentations from Scott Waddington, a Commissioner from the UK Commission for Employment and…

Inequalities | Skills and Employment Survey, Skills and Employment Survey 2012 | July 2013

Reports and Briefings

Well-being, Insecurity and Attitudes to Work in Wales: Results from the Skills and Employment Survey 2012

Attitudinal data on the experience of work and the intrinsic quality of work in Wales are relatively rare. This report offers unique insights into the stresses and strains of work, the attitudes of workers towards employment and who they work for, and the fear of job loss.

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Skills and Employment Survey, Skills and Employment Survey 2012 | January 2013

Journal Articles

Sources of variation in trade union membership across the UK: the case of Wales

This article deals with issues relating to trade union density and the fact that while over the past 30 years, union densities have followed a declining path in all regions, this retreat was not uniform across space. Analysis of the Labour Force Survey reveals that Wales exhibits among the highest levels of union density in…

Civil Society, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | May 2012

Journal Articles

Collective learning, effective demand, loss of work and loss of direction: The growing regional divide

The local economy relies on a division of labour that develops highly specialized skills. In searching for an understanding of the growing work gap within the United Kingdom, emphasis is placed on recessions that connect to loss and redundancy of physical and human capital. High levels of regional unemployment following deindustrialization convert into high levels…

Education, Inequalities, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | March 2011

Journal Articles

The Impact of the Business Cycle on Occupational Injuries in the UK

This paper investigates the cyclical fluctuations in rates of workplace injury for the UK from 1986 to 2005. Time series analysis shows that, in aggregate terms, the rate of minor injuries is pro-cyclical whilst the rate of major injury is not affected by the level of economic activity. Analysis by sector reveals that cyclical fluctuations…

Inequalities | May 2009

Journal Articles

Exploring neglected dimensions of social policy: The social division of welfare, fiscal welfare and the exemplar of local taxation in England

Titmusss Social Division of Welfare (SDW) thesis is a vitally important but much neglected element of social policy analysis. This article seeks to explore the SDW, with a particular focus on fiscal welfare. Fiscal welfare has been described as forming a hidden welfare state, and while taxation is one of the main ways in which…

Civil Society, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities, Localities | January 2009

Journal Articles

How Does Workplace Monitoring Affect the Gender Wage Differential? Analysis of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings and the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey

This paper outlines the development of a new data source that combines workplace information from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) with employee data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Illustrative analysis of the gender wage differential demonstrates how the inclusion of additional workplace characteristics collected from WERS can be utilized to…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | November 2008

Journal Articles

Local taxation and the relationship between incomes and property values

The authors’ concern is with the relationship between household income and property value, within the context of the debate about the fairness of council tax – the property-based system of local taxation in England. Although located within this particular debate, the fundamental issue of the relationship between household income and property value is of relevance…

Civil Society, Inequalities, Localities | October 2007

Journal Articles

The family gap in pay in Europe: a cross-country study

In this paper we present estimates of the penalty in pay associated with motherhood for 11 European countries. Firstly, analysis of the European Community Household Panel Survey (ECHP) reveals that significant penalties in pay exist within Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. Analysis for Germany (using the German Socio-Economic Panel) and the…

Civil Society, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | July 2005

News

PrOPEL Hub hackathons help managers take action to improve job quality

13th March 2024 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

In February 2024, WISERD co-directors, Professor Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies hosted hackathons in Sheffield and Belfast for human resource managers interested in improving job quality for their teams. Organised by the PrOPEL Hub and attended by nearly 100 managers from a range of private, public and third sector businesses, including government departments, social care…

Data & Methods, Work and Labour Markets | Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub

Media

ITV coverage of the 1984-85 miners’ strike

8th March 2024 | Helen Blakely, Huw Beynon, Ian Rees Jones, Jean Jenkins, Martin O'Neill, Rhys Davies, Steve Davies

Following our recent event, ‘The past in the present: Reflections on coal mining and the miners’ strike 1984-85’ we were featured on a special ITV Wales programme, which aired on Monday 4 March and looked at how the events of 1984-85 continue to shape Wales’ economy, people, politics and communities. The coverage featured one of…

Civil Society, Work and Labour Markets

News

Cardiff is UK’s first UNICEF Child Friendly City

27th October 2023 | Alexandra Sandu, Chris Taylor, Ian Thomas, Jennifer Keating, Katy Huxley, Kelly Regan, Laura Arman, Rhian Barrance, Rhys Davies, Robert French, Sally Power, Zoe Rozelaar

A wealth of social science research expertise has helped Cardiff become the UK’s first UNICEF Child Friendly City (CFC). The prestigious status has been awarded to the city in recognition of the steps Cardiff Council and its partners, including Cardiff University, have taken over the past five years to advance the human rights of children…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Education, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities | ADR Wales, WISERD Education, WISERD Education Data Lab, WISERD Education Multi Cohort Study

News

Exploring transitions to post-compulsory education in Wales

24th May 2023 | Katy Huxley, Rhys Davies

In a new ADR Wales Data Insight, researchers Dr Katy Huxley and Rhys Davies looked at the transitions to post-compulsory education in Wales. The team linked Welsh education data sources, allowing them to identify characteristics associated with those who do, and do not, transition to further learning. The linked datasets included the Welsh National Data Collection…

Data & Methods, Education | ADR Wales

News

Is job quality better or worse after the pandemic?

3rd May 2023 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

In a new, open access paper, Rhys Davies and Professor Alan Felstead share insights from quiz data collected before and after Covid-19 to examine what short-term effects the pandemic has had on job quality in the UK. The results show that non-pay-related job quality has improved, differences between occupations have shrunk and the growth of…

Data & Methods, Work and Labour Markets | Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub

News

New research examines effectiveness of careers guidance and how it is prioritised

6th March 2023 | Katy Huxley, Rhys Davies

New research carried out by ADR Wales has examined the effectiveness of careers guidance in supporting participation in post compulsory education and training and how careers guidance is prioritised. The work, which was undertaken by ADR Wales researchers Dr Katy Huxley and Rhys Davies, used anonymised Careers Wales data to examine how the provision of careers support to key stage…

Civil Society, Education, Work and Labour Markets | ADR Wales

Blog

Comparing the changing fortunes of trade unions across Great Britain

27th January 2023 | Alex Bryson, Rhys Davies, Samuel Jones

In our last blog post we looked at how WISERD’s free interactive mapping tool UnionMaps reveals the complex patterns in trade union membership that exist across Great Britain. Analysis revealed that the overall downward trend in union density that is observed across Great Britain as a whole masks very different local fortunes for the trade…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Inequalities, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade unions, grass roots activism and solidarity

Blog

Mapping the uneven decline of union membership in Great Britain

26th January 2023 | Alex Bryson, Rhys Davies, Samuel Jones

Recent waves of strike action by nurses, train drivers, ambulance drivers, university lecturers, teachers and others besides has highlighted the prominent position that trade unions continue to hold within the UK. An important factor that determines the power and influence of trade unions, either within an organisation or across a sector, is the proportion of…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Inequalities, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade unions, grass roots activism and solidarity

News

A new report provides recommendations on the better use of data to inform careers guidance in Wales

14th October 2022 | Katy Huxley, Rhys Davies

A recent report published by Welsh Government highlights the benefits and limitations of enhanced data utilisation to deliver careers services in Wales. Welsh Government commissioned ADR Wales researchers to undertake a study to examine the policy and legislative context within which the national careers provider, Careers Wales operates, the utility of data holdings of Careers Wales and other organisations,…

Data & Methods, Work and Labour Markets | ADR Wales

News

A decade after deadly Ali Enterprises fire, Pakistan’s garment workers report shocking lack of fire exits

19th July 2022 | Catriona Dickson, Helen Blakely, Jean Jenkins, Rhys Davies

New research from the Clean Clothes Campaign and WISERD at Cardiff University reveals the urgent need for expansion of the International Accord in Pakistan, a legally binding safety agreement to protect workers. 2022 marks 10 years since the horrific Ali Enterprises fire that killed over 250 garment workers in Pakistan yet rights for workers in…

Data & Methods, Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Operationalising Labour Rights ESRC GCRF

Blog

Understanding Geographical Variation in Union membership: a patchwork quilt or a regional divide?

25th May 2022 | Rhys Davies

Today (25th May), the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released its latest figures for trade union membership. The long-term downward trend in union membership in the UK is well known. Based on union records, trade union membership within the UK peaked in 1979 at approximately 13.2 million. Since then, there has been…

Civil Society, Localities, Work and Labour Markets

News

£17m funding for collaborative data research in Wales

26th January 2022 | Rhys Davies, WISERD

An initiative that has transformed how de-identified administrative data can be securely used to provide insight into social and economic issues in Wales is set to continue thanks to an investment of almost £17 million. Administrative Data Research Wales (ADR Wales) has been awarded £16,985,944 until 2026 as part of the £90 million UK wide Administrative Data…

Data & Methods | ADR Wales

Blog

Localities and histories: Why census data is important to understanding Trade Union membership

15th March 2021 | Alex Bryson, Helen Blakely, Huw Beynon, Rhys Davies

Within England and Wales, March 21st, 2021 is census day. Taking place every 10 years, the census provides the most accurate estimate of the population and a detailed account about people and the households in which they live. The data is vital to understanding our society and in providing information that is necessary to support the…

Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

News

Research demonstrates the importance of Careers Wales in Welsh schools

29th September 2020 | Rhys Davies

A new ADR-UK Data Insight report by WISERD Co-Director, Rhys Davis, reveals the important role played by Careers Wales in supporting those children most in need of careers guidance within Welsh Schools. Following the withdrawal of funding for the Connexions Network in 2010 – a dedicated careers guidance service for young people – concerns have…

Civil Society, Education | Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC)

News

PrOPEL hub website launches

17th June 2020 | Alan Felstead, Melanie Jones, Rhys Davies

The Productivity of Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement & Learning (PrOPEL) Hub launched its website this week, featuring contributions from WISERD staff. Professor Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies are part of the Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub, a £1.95 million project, which is supported by the Economic and Social Research…

Work and Labour Markets

News

Launch of new initiative to tackle UK productivity puzzle

4th March 2020 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

WISERD researchers based at Cardiff University have joined a network that aims to improve productivity in the UK. Professor Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies are part of the Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub, a £1.95 million project, which is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The three-year…

Work and Labour Markets | Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub

Blog

Why is understanding trade union membership from survey data harder than it might first seem?

25th February 2020 | Rhys Davies

Rhys Davies explores how he uncovered problems with official UK government figures on trade union presence and coverage – and how the government recognised and corrected the error. In a time when trade union membership is decreasing in both the UK and the USA, The decline in union membership has been well documented for many…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

Blog

Michael Gove and the Miners’ Gala: Not so wide of the mark

13th December 2019 | Rhys Davies

“Just think about it, next year, both the Durham Miners’ Gala and the Notting Hill Carnival will take place in seats represented by Conservative MPs” Michael Gove, December 2019. The Durham Miners’ Gala, established in 1871, is the largest annual gathering of trade unionists in the UK. Despite the last coal mine in County Durham…

Data & Methods, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

News

WISERD launches interactive UnionMaps service

9th September 2019 | Alex Bryson, Helen Blakely, Huw Beynon, Rhys Davies, Steve Davies

Today, WISERD launches a new interactive service allowing users to access data on union membership for over 400 unitary authority and local authority districts of Great Britain. UnionMaps allows users to produce area reports of union membership for a particular location or explore how different measures of union membership vary across Great Britain. Since its…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

News

WISERD to present at TUC Congress 2019

28th August 2019 | Helen Blakely, Katy Huxley, Rhys Davies, Steve Davies, Wil Chivers

On Monday 9th September, a team of WISERD researchers from Cardiff University, Helen Blakely, Wil Chivers, Rhys Davies, Steve Davies and Katy Huxley, will share the latest findings from our research on trade union membership in the UK, to the TUC Congress. The 151st annual congress event will take place at the Brighton Centre and attract hundreds of delegates representing every…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing, Trade unions and social media

News

Welsh Government publishes new evidence about work in Wales

26th April 2019 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

The Welsh Government has today published a report written by Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies which provides new evidence on the nature of employment in Wales. Work in Wales 2006-2017: Evidence from the Skills and Employment Surveys provides valuable insights – taken from the perspective of workers – on a number of issues including the promotion…

Localities, Work and Labour Markets | Skills and Employment Survey

News

WISERD symposium on the family and civil society: across the generations

5th December 2018 | Esther Muddiman, Rhian Powell, Rhys Davies, Sally Power, Stuart Fox

On the 20th November, researchers from universities and third sector organisations came together at the London offices of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) for a symposium on the relationship between the family and civil society. Chaired by WISERD co-director, Professor Sally Power, the event provided an opportunity to share updates on WISERD Civil…

Civil Society | The intergenerational transmission of ‘civic virtues’: the role of the family in civil society engagement

News

Huge variance found in aspirations of school-leavers, depending on where they study

9th August 2018 | Caroline Wright, Chris Taylor, Gareth Rees, Rhys Davies, Stephen Drinkwater

Schools can be hugely influential in students’ choices about higher education, irrespective of the grades they achieve, research has found. The Study led by WISERD’s Professor Chris Taylor followed the educational pathways of all Year 11 pupils across Wales between 2005 and 2007. When the only variable factor was the school they went to, the…

Education

News

UK Government Revises National Statistics on Trade Union Membership in Response to WISERD Research

31st May 2018 | Rhys Davies

Rhys Davies reveals how official figures have under-estimated the presence of trade unions within UK workplaces over many years. This morning, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published its latest estimates for trade union membership in the UK based upon data from the Labour Force Survey. Today’s figures reveal that 6.2 million…

Civil Society, Data & Methods, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

News

Student talent network to be expanded after WISERD review

18th April 2018 | Rhys Davies, Suhaer Yunus

The Welsh Government have announced plans to expand their pilot network for high achieving school pupils. WISERD and ADRC-Wales researchers Rhys Davies and Dr Suhaer Yunus contributed to the OB3 Research evaluation of the Seren Network, which helps Wales’ brightest sixth formers gain access to top universities across the world. .@wgcs_education has announced the @Seren_Network…

Data & Methods, Education | SEREN Network Evaulation

News

Research shows disability has lasting negative effect on employment

21st February 2017 | Melanie Jones, Rhys Davies, Stephen Drinkwater

New research highlights the need for policy support to be directed towards helping those who develop a disability to retain work owing to the lasting negative effect on employment even when they recover. WISERD academics Professor Melanie Jones and Rhys Davies from Cardiff University and Professor Stephen Drinkwater, University of Roehampton, researched the impact of disability…

Civil Society | Equality, Diversity & Third Sector Welfare Provision, Wellbeing, Deprivation & Social Cohesion

News

Making Sense of Official Estimates of Trade Union Membership

25th November 2016 | Rhys Davies

Rhys Davies presented his work at the Labour Force and Annual Population Surveys User Conference 2016 today, at the Royal Statistical Society in London. Data producers and data users came together to share updates on the development of these surveys and to showcase research that is being carried out using the data. Rhys Davies’ presentation…

Civil Society, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

Blog

Making the best of a bad job? Measuring job satisfaction in Wales

7th July 2016 | Rhys Davies

Since the introduction of its well-being programme in 2010, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has introduced a number of questions into its surveys in an attempt to measure the well-being of the population in the UK. The Annual Population Survey, the largest regular household survey undertaken by the ONS, now includes a suite of…

Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

Blog

Measuring trade union membership: Harder than it may seem?

16th May 2016 | Rhys Davies

Declining levels of trade union membership is often cited as evidence that trade unions have become less relevant within the modern UK economy. In 2012, particular attention was given to this issue as levels of union membership among TUC affiliated unions fell to beneath 6 million members for the first time[i]. The recent development and…

Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

News

New Website for WISERD Civil Society Project: Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

16th May 2016 | Rhys Davies

Today WISERD launches its new webpages related to the research programme on trade unions within the WISERD Civil Society Centre: www.wiserd.ac.uk/unions ‘Declining levels of trade union membership is often cited as evidence that trade unions have become less relevant within the modern UK economy. However, previous WISERD research into geographical variations in trade union membership…

Civil Society, Work and Labour Markets | Trade Union Membership, Associational Life and Wellbeing

News

Introducing the GW4 Pay Equality Research Consortium

23rd February 2016 | Rhys Davies

From 2018, companies with more than 250 employees will be required to make their gender pay gap publicly available online. Employers that fail to address gender pay disparities will also be highlighted in new league tables intended to drive progress. The launch of a new project has coincided with the governments publication of these planned…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | The Gender Pay Gap in Wales

News

European Social Fund Leaver’s Survey Analysis

3rd September 2013 | Gareth S Williams, Gerry Makepeace, Max Munday, Rhys Davies

Analysis released on assessment of outcomes for people leaving ESF projects. A report assessing the outcomes for those leaving ESF projects, designed to increase engagement in the labour market and improve the skill levels of the workforce, is now available. The Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) has recently published a report prepared by WISERD and…

Work and Labour Markets | ESF Leavers Survey

Media

‘Wales workers happiest but paid less and have lower skills, says report’

8th July 2013 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Work and Labour Markets | Skills and Employment Survey 2012

News

‘Wales workers happiest but paid less and have lower skills, says report’

8th July 2013 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

Professor Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies discussion following the launch of their research on the 2012 Skills and Employment Survey. They found that workers in Wales are paid less than elsewhere in Britain and do lower skilled jobs, but they were the happiest and most committed. Wales Online – https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/cardiff-university… BBC News – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23223035 ESRC – http://www.esrc.ac.uk/news-events-and-publications/publications/magazin…

Work and Labour Markets

Media

‘Brain drain alarm as many who study in Wales leave’ – Wales Online

5th January 2012 | Gillian Bristow, Madeleine Pill, Rhys Davies, Stephen Drinkwater

Front page news! The report into graduate mobility that found Wales has lower retention rates with regards to the proportion of students studying and staying to find work in Wales is the lead story in the Western Mail. The online copy, published by Wales Online, can be found through this link.

Education, Work and Labour Markets | Welsh Graduate Migration

News

WISERD Research on Welsh Graduate Mobility Makes Front Page News

5th January 2012 | Gillian Bristow, Madeleine Pill, Rhys Davies, Stephen Drinkwater

A recent project on Welsh graduate mobility by WISERD researchers has been featured on the front page of the Western Mail today (January 5th 2012). The research project – ‘Stay, leave or return? Patterns of Welsh Graduate mobility’– was undertaken in collaboration with the ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE) and investigated the nature…

Education, Work and Labour Markets | Welsh Graduate Migration

News

Mini-Projects Announced As Part Of The Second Phase Of The WISERD Research Programme

17th August 2011 | Alexandra Plows, Howard Davis, Ian Stafford, Jesse Heley, Kate Moles, Laura Jones, Michael Woods, Rhys Davies, Robin Mann, Stephen Burgess, Stephen Drinkwater, Stuart Tannock, Suzie Watkin

As part of the second phase of the research programme, WISERD researchers have begun working on a series of mini-projects. These projects build on existing research undertaken by WISERD to date and enable further analysis of key themes and issues identified during the first phase of the WISERD research programme. The projects are diverse in…

Localities | Behaviour Change in Wales, Connected Communities: Older People’s Connected Rural Lives, Heads of the Valleys Boundaries, Knowing Localities: Responses to Redundancy at AA, Knowing Localities: The Military in the Welsh Valleys, Knowing Localities: Welsh and the Labour Market

News

WISERD Researchers Involved in Projects Funded by Economic Research Grants

11th July 2011 | Catherine Robinson, Melanie Jones, Rhys Davies, Stephen Drinkwater

The Welsh Government has announced that it will be supporting four research studies into the economy of Wales by awarding them with Economic Research Grants. These grants have been designed to help develop research capacity and widen knowledge of the economy in Wales by encouraging innovative, smaller-scale economic research. Researchers at WISERD will be involved…

Work and Labour Markets | Unlocking the potential of the Welsh Local Labour Force Survey: an investigation into labour market transitions in Wales

News

WISERD to Boost Skills and Employment Survey in 2012

17th June 2011 | Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies

WISERD is funding a boost to the Skills and Employment Survey to be carried out across Britain in 2012. The overarching aim of the survey is to collect data on skills and employment experiences of those working in Britain in 2012, making it a key and distinctive resource for research on contemporary working life. The…

Work and Labour Markets | Skills and Employment Survey

News

An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in Wales Report Launched

17th June 2011 | Catherine Robinson, Chris Taylor, Mamata Parhi, Melanie Jones, Rhys Davies, Stephen Drinkwater

On the 12th May 2011 a report entitled An Anatomy of Inequality in Wales, written by WISERD researchers for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), was launched in Cardiff. The launch of the report, which has been described as ‘landmark’, had substantial coverage from a number of Welsh media outlets, including the BBC and…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in Wales

Seminar Workshop

Professor Michèle Lamont – Visit to Cardiff University

24th March 2025 | Cardiff University

WISERD is pleased to announce that Cultural Sociologist Professor Michèle Lamont of Harvard University will be visiting Cardiff’s School of Social Sciences on the 24-25th March 2025, as part of her Leverhulme Visiting Professorship. Professor Lamont is internationally recognised and acclaimed for her work on morality, group boundaries, and inequality. She has tackled topics such…

WISERD Online Lunchtime Seminar

WISERD / SURDUBB Seminar – Charting the decline of the union pay premium

2nd May 2023 | Online

Presented by Rhys Davies This paper presents new evidence on long term trends in the union pay premium for Great Britain. Based upon data from the Labour Force Survey for 2001 to 2021, regression analysis reveals that the average premium in pay associated with union membership is estimated to be approximately 5%. The premium is…

WISERD Online Lunchtime Seminar

Tracking Participation in Post Compulsory Education in Wales

30th November 2021 | Online

Presented by Rhys Davies. Tracking the destinations and outcomes of Year 11 pupils following their completion of Key Stage 4 is not straightforward. Data related to those who attend school sixth forms and those who attend colleges of Further Education (encompassing those registered for work-based learning) is collected separately. This separation is, for the most…

WISERD Online Lunchtime Seminar

The Effectiveness of Careers Guidance in Supporting Participation in Post Compulsory Education and Training

12th October 2021

Presented by Rhys Davies This presentation explores the provision of careers guidance among 2 cohorts of Key Stage 4 children in Wales and its impact on the transitions subsequently made by Year 11 pupils into Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET). Analysis reveals that having a one-to-one careers guidance session in Year 10 or 11 is…

Workshop

Department of Work and Pensions ARI workshop

23rd March 2021

During March, the Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD) is hosting two workshops on behalf of the Department and Work and Pensions (DWP). The workshops form part of DWPs wider engagement strategy with UK universities and provide an opportunity for DWP analysts to engage with the research community and to identify…

WISERD Online Lunchtime Seminar

WISERD online lunchtime seminar- Understanding the origins of labour market disadvantage

9th March 2021 | Online

Presented by Katy Huxley and Rhys Davies, WISERD. This presentation provides an overview of the difficulties expressed by Key Stage 4 pupils in making choices regarding their transitions from compulsory education. Through a population level linkage study that combines data from the Careers Wales Career Check Survey with pupil level information from the National Pupil…

WISERD Online Lunchtime Seminar

WISERD online lunchtime seminar- Lockdown in Bangalore: The Vulnerabilities of Indian Garment Workers

8th December 2020 | Online

Jean Jenkins and Rhys Davies, Cardiff University Since October 2018, researchers from WISERD and Cardiff Business School have been working in partnership with Cividep-India to examine whether and how garment workers in Bangalore are able to gain access to remedy at the workplace. On 24 March 2020, the study was temporarily brought to an…

Cardiff Lunchtime Seminar

WISERD Lunchtime Seminar- Careers Guidance and Progression to Post-Compulsory Education in Wales

21st January 2020

Presented by Rhys Davies, WISERD. This seminar is part of the Cardiff WISERD Lunchtime Seminar series. If you are an external guest, please contact us (029 2087 9338) to confirm availability of places. For further information please contact WISERD.Events@cardiff.ac.uk

Cardiff Lunchtime Seminar

The persistence of union membership in coal mining areas

1st October 2019 | Cardiff

Presented by Helen Blakely and Rhys Davies , Cardiff University . This seminar is part of the Cardiff WISERD Lunchtime Seminar series. If you are an external guest, please contact us (029 2087 9338) to confirm availability of places. For further information please contact WISERD.Events@cardiff.ac.uk This seminar will be held through the medium of English. Read the publication here…

Seminar

TUC Congress 2019 “The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated”: The resilience and renewal of trade unions

9th September 2019 | Brighton

Unions have faced decades of hostile legislation designed to make them ineffective, have seen the collapse of parts of the economy that were union strongholds and the growth of precarious work. They have been written off as out of date and out of time. Yet although union density and membership have declined since the 1980s,…

Cardiff Lunchtime Seminar

Trade Union Membership among domestic and international migrants in the UK

30th April 2019 | Cardiff

Presented by Rhys Davies, Cardiff University. This seminar is part of the Cardiff WISERD Lunchtime Seminar series. If you are an external guest, please contact us (029 2087 9338) to confirm availability of places. For further information please contact WISERD.Events@cardiff.ac.uk This seminar will be held through the medium of English.

Conference

Symposium: Family and Civil Society: across the generations

20th November 2018 | NCVO, Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL, United Kingdom

Hosted by WISERD, this one day symposium will explore the role of the family in civil society engagement and the significance of intergenerational transmission in relation to political participation, trade unions and Euroscepticism. The day will also showcase latest findings from the WISERD ESRC Civil Society research. This symposium is free to attend and lunch…

Cardiff Lunchtime Seminar

Why are the Welsh so Happy at Work? Union Membership and Regional Variations in Job Satisfaction

9th January 2018 | 38 Park Place, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3BB, United Kingdom

Presented by Rhys Davies, Cardiff University. This seminar is part of the Cardiff WISERD Lunchtime Seminar series.

Conference

UK Data Services’ Labour Force Survey Users Conference

20th November 2017 | Royal Statistical Society, London

Conference paper titled: Trade Union Membership Among the Migrant Community presented by Rhys Davies

Conference

UK Data Services Labour Force Survey Users Conference

25th November 2016 | Royal Statistical Society, London

Conference paper “Making Sense of Official Estimates of Trade Union Membership” delivered at the UK Data Services Labour Force Survey Users Conference.

Cardiff Lunchtime Seminar

In the blood or the water? Intergenerational transmission of trade union membership

15th November 2016 | Cardiff

Presented by Helen Blakely and Rhys Davies (Cardiff University)

Conference

2016 Work and Pensions Economics Group (WPEG) Conference

25th July 2016 | Sheffield

Rhys Davies presented a paper, co-authored with Alex Bryson,”What Do Unions Do In Wales? The Case of Job Satisfaction” Conference paper available here

Workshop

ADRC Wales Accreditation Training

21st January 2016 | Cardiff

The ADRN aim to give accredited researchers access to de-identified administrative data. One of the steps to achieving accredited researcher status is attending and successfully completing our Accreditation Training course and test. The training course is an all-day event, the programme, other details and training materials will be available nearer to the time. Please note…

Training

Welsh Labour Market Summit: debating interventions to match skills and jobs

18th September 2015 | Bangor

This summit mainly discussed existing and possible future labour market interventions in response to large-scale job losses across traditional industries (deindustrialization) in Wales, with a particular focus on the North West Wales labour market. There were a number of academic and stakeholder speakers, followed by an interactive session involving the audience, which informed debate and research….

Training

Accessing the Administrative Data Research Network: What, Why and Where do I start?

2nd July 2015 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

This session introduced the work of the Administrative Data Research Network (ADRN) and within it, the Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC-W). Delegates heared about the work of the ADRN and an overview of some of the projects undertaken within ADRC Wales that are using de-identified, linked administrative data. Delegates also heared about the process of…

Workshop

Locating and Using Data Resources on Wales

3rd March 2014 | Cardiff

Course Leader: Mr Rhys Davies, WISERD Quantitative Research Team This course provided an overview of some of the data resources available for research within the Social Sciences, focusing upon resources relevant to Wales. The course outlined the key sources of information related to data and research resources of potential interest. The aim was to fill knowledge gaps regarding the existence…

Training

Exploiting the Potential of Longitudinal Research Resources for Wales

7th May 2013 | Cardiff

This event showcased the possibilities in terms of longitudinal research on policy relevant themes, with the aim of developing longitudinal research capacity within Wales. Programme: 12.00 Lunch 12.50 Welcome & Introduction (Prof. Ian Rees Jones, WISERD, Cardiff University) 13.00 Welsh overview of the England and Wales Longitudinal Study (Dr Nicola Shelton, CeLSIUS, UCL) 13.20 Presentations…

Workshop

Understanding Wales: Opportunities for Secondary Data Analysis

16th January 2012 | Cardiff

Presented by: Steve Marshall of Welsh Government, Melanie Jones, Stephen Drinkwater and Martin Heaven of Swansea University, Scott Orford, Chris Taylor, Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies of Cardiff University. The Welsh Government makes a number of investments in survey and administrative data sources. In terms of survey sources, the Welsh Government is responsible for…

Seminar

An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in Wales

4th October 2011 | Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay

WISERD was delighted to be supporting the Wales Governance Centre (WGC) in hosting a series of seminars in the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay. Join a number of leading academics for a series of events exploring patterns of economic and social inequality in contemporary Wales

Workshop

Locating and Using Data Resources on Wales

15th September 2011 | Cardiff

Course Leader: Mr Rhys Davies, WISERD Quantitative Research Team This course provided an overview of some of the data resources available for research within the Social Sciences, and focused upon resources relevant to Wales. The course outlined the key sources of information related to data and research resources of potential interest. The aim was to fill knowledge gaps regarding the…

Workshop

Locating and Using Data Resources on Wales

11th April 2011 | Cardiff

Course Leader: Mr Rhys Davies, WISERD Quantitative Research Team This course provided an overview of some of the data resources available for research within the Social Sciences, focussing upon resources relevant to Wales. The course outlined the key sources of information related to data and research resources of potential interest. The aim was to fill knowledge gaps regarding the existence…

Workshop

Locating and Using Data Resources on Wales

25th May 2010 | Swansea

Course Leader: Mr Rhys Davies, WISERD Quantitative Research Team This course provided an overview of some of the data resources available for research within the Social Sciences, focussing upon resources relevant to Wales. The course outlined the key sources of information related to data and research resources of potential interest. The aim was to fill knowledge gaps regarding the existence and scope of…

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