Category: Research

Exploring the role of Employers during the cost-of-living crisis

We are living through an unparalleled and enduring crisis in living standards. With inflation outpacing pay increases, workers are materially worse off than a year ago. In response, the Government has launched a large package of support with household energy bills. However, many workers are still struggling with their finances, and we are currently experiencing the largest-scale industrial action since the winter of discontent in 1978-79.

In this context, what it means to be a progressive and supportive employer is changing. Based on mixed-methods research, this briefing examines how the cost-of-living crisis is shaping the way employers approach financial wellbeing at work, analysing support available for workers, and outlining practical steps to improve it beyond periods of crisis.

As a society, our views on employer responsibilities are evolving, staff wellbeing is a priority for many employers during the cost-of-living crisis and worker expectations vary with the nature of their employment relationship. Engagement is key to ensuring measures are valued by staff and avoid negative unintended consequences and employers should remove the stigma that prevents workers from seeking financial wellbeing support at work.

Work Foundation highlight the Government and employers have a pivotal role to play – they suggest that the government needs to strengthen employment rights ensuring everyone has access to good, secure work and that employers review job security and develop a strategic approach to financial wellbeing.

Read more here.

Exploring Labour Force Participation

A report exploring labour force participation in the UK from the Covid 19 pandemic to a decade ahead.

In 2023, almost three years on from the advent of Covid-19, economists and policymakers are trying to understand the lasting impacts of the pandemic.

One area of focus in recent months has been labour supply: despite unemployment reaching historic lows, a rise in economic inactivity means that the UK employment rate remains one percentage point lower than pre-pandemic (the employment rate for 16-64-year-olds is down from 76.6 per cent in December-February 2020 to 75.6 per cent in the final three months of 2022). This is now a key focus for policymakers, and so it is crucial to understand the causes properly.

The legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK has not been high unemployment as was feared in 2020, but an increase in economic inactivity of over half a million workers, concentrated among older workers and those with long-term health conditions.

Read more here.

CBI taskforce to tackle economic inactivity

The employers’ organisation, the CBI is launching and co-chairing a new Health and Work Taskforce – backed by industry CEOs alongside the TUC and the Health Foundation – to recommend and implement near-term actions which will lead to long-term benefits.

The Taskforce will identify what UK industry can do to improve the health of their workforces and the working age population more broadly. It will also identify where government can provide signals, framework, and incentives to help the whole economy to value health investment more proactively.

With economic inactivity historically high, ill health costing the UK economy £180bn in lost output, and millions of lost working days annually, the need to find solutions driven by employers and supported by the government is critical.

Read more here.

Leading UK bosses join mission to get thousands more prisoners into work

Bosses from top firms including the Co-op, Greggs, Iceland, and Oliver Bonas have now been appointed as Employment Advisory Board chairs in 92 prisons, which help prepare prisoners nearing the end of their sentence for release into the community.

The Boards link prisons to leading business figures who can offer their expertise on the skills, qualifications and training needed to help prisoners re-enter the workforce.

Using these insights, prisons can tailor their training and workshops to match local labour market demands so ex-offenders are job-ready when they walk out the prison gate.

The initiative was launched in March 2022 and will play a crucial role in boosting the UK economy while tackling the £18 billion annual cost of reoffending, with ex-prisoners in steady employment being nine percentage points less likely to re-offend.

Read more here.

Major fund to tackle loneliness and boost volunteering in disadvantaged areas

Youth clubs, mental health charities and social enterprises are among the organisations to benefit from up to £30 million to create volunteering opportunities and help reduce loneliness.

27 disadvantaged areas, from Wakefield to Wolverhampton, will be supported to create new volunteering opportunities for residents to help their communities.

The new Know Your Neighbourhood Fund will support charitable projects to connect communities backed by up to £30 million. Projects set to benefit include initiative to help parent carers take part in volunteering, and training for young people to become accredited sports coaches.

*Areas of higher rates of unemployment tend to have higher rates of loneliness

Read more here.

World Autism Awareness Day 2023

World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) aims to put a spotlight on the hurdles that people with autism and others living with autism face every day.

As a growing global health issue owing to its increasing exposure in the press and common knowledge, autism is an issue that is only gaining more understanding.

Read more here.

Report: Essential Digital Skills for Work

A report developed by FutureDotNow and Lloyds Bank reveals the full scale of the basic tech skills gap in the UK labour force.

  • Digital technology has and will continue to transform the workplace. The importance of ensuring the UKs workforce is equipped with relevant digital skills cannot be overstated.
  • Almost 60% cannot complete the 20 digital tasks that make up the Essential Digital Skills for Work as defined by industry and government.
  • 59% of the UK workforce is not meeting its full potential.

Read the full report here.

UK and New Zealand expand schemes for young people to work abroad

UK and New Zealand expand schemes for young people to work abroad.

The Youth Mobility and Working Holiday schemes have been expanded so more young people will be eligible to live and work in both countries for longer.

Young Brits and New Zealanders will benefit from life-changing opportunities on the other side of the world thanks to the expansion of our shared visa schemes.

From 29 June 2023, the age limit for New Zealand applicants coming to the UK will go up from 30 to 35 years old and the maximum length of time people can stay in their host country will be extended to 3 years.

For Brits wanting to take advantage of the scheme in New Zealand, the age range will be increased on 1 July 2023, and they will be able to work throughout their stay of up to 3 years.

Read more here.

Unit for Future Skills – Local Skills Dashboard

Take a look at the dashboard here.

The dashboard contains:

  • An overview of labour market and skills data for selected geographic locations, such as local skills improvement plan (LSIP) areas, local enterprise partnership (LEP) and mayoral combined authority (MCA)
  • A searchable map where you can find leading indicators on local economy and skills, including employment, jobs, businesses, skills, and destinations over time
  • Additional breakdowns such as local authority, occupation, learner age and provision type
  • Links to additional local data sources and tools including the Office for National Statistics (ONS) subnational indicators explorer, higher education data sources and job quality indicators
  • Bespoke download of dashboard data to enable further analysis and sharing.

The underlying data is available at local authority district and regional level’s – just put your region in!

Essential Skills Tracker 2023

1. Skills Builder – Essential Skills Tracker 

It reveals the £22bn cost of low essential skills to the UK economy, and how these eight skills predict
income, social mobility, job & life satisfaction.

2. Speakers for Schools – Work Experience for All: Policy Report

Speakers for Schools commissioned Social Market Foundation to examine the practicalities of implementing universal access to work experience. This report is part of our Work Experience for all campaign that aims to ensure every young person in England has access to high-quality work experience opportunities.

Policy recommendations following the new report by SMF:

1.         Work experience is achievable and affordable.
2.         We should move forward, not backwards.
3.         Make the system easy for everyone.
4.         Scale back before scaling up; an evidence-led approach must be taken.
5.         This is a devolved matter but needs central support.