Professor Howard Davis comments on the latest employment figures – and the problems that lie beneath the surface of the country’s economy, despite months of positive headlines.
Along with Professor Tony Dobbins and Dr Alexandra Plows, Professor Davis takes a closer look at the jobs situation in the UK since the 2008 financial crisis and the increase in flexible “non-standard” working patterns: part-time work, zero hours contracts, and underemployment.
The Conversation piece notes the sharp rise in self-employment. Official data indicates an all-time record of 4.63m self-employed people in 2016 (15% of the UK workforce) – nearly double the figures in 1975. Self-employment is common in sectors like construction, social care, delivery drivers, taxi drivers, hairdressing, and management consultants. The piece looks at the salaries of self-employed workers and the increase in ‘false self-employment’ coupled with the constraints of this type of employment.
Click here for the full piece.
Wales Labour Market Summit II
Dr Alex Plows will be speaking at the Wales Labour Market Summit II: Comparing policy interventions to challenge ‘business as usual’ in September.
The Welsh Labour Market Summit II is a knowledge exchange event serving as a platform for comparing, debating, and informing policy interventions in response to large-scale job losses across traditional industries (deindustrialisation). While the primary region of focus is North Wales, the summit seeks to provide opportunity for comparative reference to other regional and national labour market interventions in the UK and beyond with the intention of catalysing change in future policy and practice. Speakers and attendees will consist of stakeholders, practitioners, and academics. The day will consist of a mix of keynote speakers and structured group discussion.
Click here for more details.