While unemployment in the UK has been historically low in recent years, large parts of our economy are characterised by insecure work. The UK’s withdrawal from the EU, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis have impacted working life in the UK, accelerating existing trends and producing short and potentially long-term challenges for people in precarious jobs.
Insecure work is not inherently good or bad. However, some of forms of insecurity – particularly when occurring in combination with others – can contribute to higher risk of job loss, lower financial wellbeing and more limited access to important employment rights.
Our UK Insecure Work Index 2024 estimated that 6.8 million people people in the UK (21.4% of the workforce) are in severely insecure work and face the greatest risk of facing these negative long-term effects.
Our analysis shows that structural inequality in the labour market means women, young people, ethnic minority workers and disabled workers are disproportionately likely to be in an insecure job. We’re concerned that some workers are feeling a need to compromise job security to get work that offers the flexibility they need.
Our Insecure Work strand aims to deliver new evidence and ideas to help organisations, policymakers and workers:
New analysis from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University reveals that 1.4 million people face the 'double jeopardy' of working in severely insecure jobs whilst living in the private rented sector as rents soar.
Analysis by the work foundation has found that a record 1.1 million working age people primarily work under zero-hour contracts, the poster child for insecure work.
New in-depth research suggests that work has become less secure in the UK in the last year as workers have faced the worst cost of living crisis for 41 years.
In the UK, 6.2 million workers are in severely insecure jobs, potentially leading to job loss, poor health, and limited employment rights. The Work Foundation and CMI's analysis indicates that effective management practices can alleviate these issues. Our employer briefing provides guidance for senior leaders and managers to support workers in insecure jobs.
Insecure workers who feel they are treated well at work are 7.5 times more likely to be satisfied with their job. This research, employing a mix-method approach, examines the critical role that good management practices can play in mitigating some of the adverse impacts associated with job insecurity.
This new report explores the geography of job insecurity across England. It shows there is unequal access to secure employment opportunities across England, and sets out a series of measures that could transform local labour markets, and introduce a big step forward for the Levelling Up agenda..
New research explores the constraints and choices people face when they decide to engage in insecure work. Many of those in insecure work find themselves having to trade security for flexibility to balance work around other factors in their lives.
New analysis of UK labour market data reveals disabled workers are 1.5 times more likely than non-disabled workers to be in severely insecure work. Some groups are particularly disadvantaged, including autistic workers, female disabled workers, and those with mental health conditions.
New analysis from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University reveals that Government plans to rush the ‘sunsetting’ of EU laws by the end of 2023 will put the rights and protections of more than 8.6 million UK workers at risk.
New analysis of UK labour market data has identified a gender insecurity gap, with working women nearly twice as likely as working men to be in severely insecure work – and the situation worsens for mothers, disabled women and women from specific ethnic minority backgrounds.
Many people who receive Universal Credit (UC) face conditionality requirements which can impact on their ability to take part in training activity. Through qualitative interviews, this research explored how the training aspirations of people on UC are influenced by the conditionality requirements they are required to meet.
New in-depth analysis of UK job market data reveals women, disabled people, ethnic minorities and young workers have been consistently affected by insecure employment over the last twenty years.
A new direction to tackle insecurity in retail following COVID-19.
The role of skills in tackling job insecurity through Brexit and Covid-19
Millions of people on UC are facing barriers to accessing training. What should the Government do to widen access for this changing group?
COVID-19 and worker insecurity in 2020 and beyond.
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