Working for the Future: Call for Evidence opens for new Commission on the Future of Employment Support

The Institute for Employment Studies have launched a major new Commission on the Future of Employment Support, funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and hosted by IES.



Over the next eighteen months, the Commission will be working with all of those with an interest in employment support and services to develop proposals for reform so that we can better help people to find good work, help employers to fill jobs and support economic growth and social inclusion. The work is being overseen by ten commissioners who bring a range of perspectives and expertise from employment support, public services, business and civil society, with more details on the commission available at: www.employment-studies.co.uk/commission



We are launching an initial Call for Evidence here: www.bit.ly/call-for-evidence and are keen to hear your views on what is working well, what can be improved, and what we can learn from the UK and overseas. Please do get in touch via the Call, or by email at commission@employment-studies.co.uk.



A launch report and accompanying evidence paper have also been published today and are available here, with the reports covered this morning in the FT, Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Independent and last weekend’s Observer.



The reports set out that despite record employment before the pandemic, the UK was doing far worse than many other developed economies on employment for those disadvantaged in the labour market, and in particular for disabled people and older people. If we could close just half of the gap to the best in Europe for these two groups, there would be nearly a million more people in work and an employment rate of above 80%.



Furthermore since the pandemic, the UK is one of the only countries in the developed world where employment is still lower than it was at the end of 2019 – and on present trends, we are on course to have had the weakest recovery of any nation by early next year.  The reports include new analysis of what is driving this, and in particular that we have seen an increase of more than 200 thousand in the number of people out of work for more than five years with long-term health conditions – suggesting that fewer people returning to work is now a bigger driver than more people leaving work (and indeed short-term worklessness is at its lowest on record).



This shrinking workforce is bucking a trend over the last thirty years of rising participation and is contributing to both labour and skills shortages. The reports argue that with lower migration post-Brexit and more Baby Boomers retiring, these trends are likely to be long-lasting – so we need to do far more to help people who want to work to get (back) in, to help employers to fill their jobs, and to make work more productive, inclusive and rewarding.



The reports also include new analysis that shows that only around a fifth of jobseekers use Jobcentre Plus – a figure that has halved over the last decade – and that virtually none of those who are outside the labour force do so. This is supported by new polling by YouGov of over 4,500 people (including nearly 2,000 jobseekers) which finds that while nearly half of those that use Jobcentre Plus feel that they were treated well, just a third were satisfied with the support to find work. Polling of 500 employers similarly finds low levels of use of Jobcentre Plus (just one in six firms) and mixed views on its effectiveness.



The Commission reports set out that there is now a real opportunity for lasting reform, to support a stronger economy, higher living standards and improved wellbeing.



As well as the Call for Evidence, over the next six months we will be running a series of hearings and events as well as carrying out further research and analysis. We are keen to work with anyone who has an interest in employment support and services to make sure that our proposals are evidence led and can build consensus. So please do get in touch if you would like to know more or to be involved: commission@employment-studies.co.uk