Institute for Employment Research » IER News & blogs (tag [unemployment])

Dr Sangwoo Lee's Expert Comment on ONS Labour Market Statistics (March 2026 - May 2026)

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Dr Sangwoo Lee, Assistant Professor, Institute for Employment Research, said: 'The minor reduction in unemployment seen in today's data, is accompanied by a 0.3 % increase in economic inactivity - partly driven by discouraged jobseekers retreating from the market rather than being absorbed into stable jobs. We're also seeing a gradual shift towards non-traditional working arrangements. Strengthening protection these workers should be a priority.

New research highlights how better employment support could help people over 50 stay in or return to work

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

As populations age, governments are encouraging people to work for longer. But many older workers—especially those with health conditions, caring responsibilities or insecure work histories—struggle to stay in employment or find a way back after job loss.

A new report from the Warwick Institute for Employment Research reviews UK and international evidence on active labour market programmes designed to support people aged 50 and over. It finds that generic, one-size-fits-all employment schemes often fail older workers, particularly those facing disadvantage.

Unemployment protection in changing labour markets

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The International Labour Organization's Future of Work initiative and the United Nation's Sustainability Goals call for inclusiveness by providing more reliable and adequate social protection. This book chapter, authored by Sonja Bekker , IER’s Trine Pernille Larsen and Janine Leschke, focuses on unemployment insurance benefits (UIB), drawing on examples primarily from European Union countries, arguing that the future of work is closely tied to proactive and inclusive support or the unemployed, geared to supporting labour market transitions.

Quality (and lack) of employment linked to mental health-related disability

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 07:30:00 GMT

A new article was published in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health by Rebeka Balogh, Sudipa Sarkar, Chris Warhurst and colleagues at Interface Demography at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Karolinska Institute.

The article examines the link between types of employment trajectories and Belgium workers having a subsequent registered disability from mental health.

IER research rated highly at IAEVG conference

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 14:24:00 GMT

A range of IER research was presented at the recent 44th International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) online international conference 'Maximizing Potential of Career Guidance'. The conference was attended by career guidance and counselling professionals to share research and practice on how career guidance can maximise the potential of individuals and communities, education and economies.

Profiling of job seekers to help target support - Blog by Dr Sally Wright

Tue, 12 May 2020 13:13:00 GMT

While we may be in unprecedented times, a picture is already starting to emerge about the colossal impact that Covid-19 is having on labour markets, jobs and people.

The measures being implemented by countries to address the spread of Covid-19 are necessary as they will save lives but they are having a devastating impact on workers around the world. For example, in mid-March 2020, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated that lockdown measures had already affected around 2.7 billion workers, representing around 81% of the world’s workforce. Moreover, the pandemic has intensified and expanded since the ILO’s initial estimates were published.

Distance travelled and soft outcomes for long-term unemployed review

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:20:00 GMT

The feasibility of developing a methodology for measuring the distance travelled and soft outcomes for long-term unemployed people participating in Active Labour Market Programmes has just been published by the European Commission.

Sally-Anne Barnes and Sally Wright undertook the review as part of the ESF funded European Transnational Employment Platform Project led by AEIDL. The aim of the review was to establish the scope for application of 'Distance Travelled Models', which could be adapted by those supporting long-term employed integration.

Sally-Anne and Sally also delivered a half day workshop for the Slovenian public employment services to support the development of a distance travelled model for the labour market programmes.

IER team visited India for project launch workshop in spring 2019

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 09:50:00 GMT

In late April/early May Clare Lyonette, Gaby Atfield and Sudipa Sarkar visited India for the first of a series of workshops as part of the ESRC Global Challenges Research Fund project 'Inequalities and skills acquisition in young people: Identification of factors affecting successful outcomes in the DDU-GKY Indian skills programme for unemployed young people’.

The IER team was joined by Bhaskar Chakravorty, an IER PhD student and research assistant, and Himadri Sinha, co-investigator on the project, based at Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS). During the first workshop visit, the IER team delivered workshops to Master's students at XISS on quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as engaged with key local stakeholders.

Harnessing growth sectors for poverty reduction

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:29:18 GMT

Two further reports have been published by Professor Anne Green, Paul Sissons (Coventry University) and Neil Lee (LSE) from an ESRC-funded project on Harnessing Growth Sectors for Poverty Reduction.

The first report on employment entry finds that there is potential for using a well-targeted, sector-focused approach to increase employment entry and help reduce poverty. Social care and the hospitality industry offer opportunities for sector-specific training programmes for people who find it difficult to access employment. But because these sectors are characterised by low pay policies need to promote career progression as well as job entry. The construction sector is also well placed to provide employment and training opportunities for local residents, and the government could encourage this through procurement and planning policies. There is also growing interest in the potential role of social enterprises in providing local jobs – especially with regard to repairs and maintenance of social housing. Sector-focused work experience is an important way of getting young people and unemployed adults skilled up for work.

The second report examines aspects of job quality. It finds that while job quality should be a critical issue for policymakers there is a lack of empirical evidence from approaches seeking to enhance job quality. Pay and job security are important elements of job quality, as are flexible employment practices that enable people to balance work and caring responsibilities. Trade unions can play an important role in improving job quality outcomes. Where there is evidence from sector-focused approaches to job quality these have sought to link changes in employment conditions with service improvements for employers; utilised procurement as an opportunity to shape job quality; or sought to encourage changes in business models as a precursor to improving job quality. There is a need to pilot and trial different approaches to improving job quality in different sectors and for different types of employment.

Knowledge, interchange & collaboration: Anne Green visits South Africa

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 13:11:01 GMT

In late September, IER's Anne Green travelled to South Africa at the invitation of the Human Sciences Research Council under the auspices of a National Research Foundation Knowledge, Interchange & Collaboration Grant. The purpose of her visit was to exchange knowledge on tackling unemployment issues in the UK, in order to feed into learning on poverty and inequality issues in South Africa. Anne gave a presentation at the Society of South African Geographers Centenary Conference in Stellenbosch and then travelled to Pretoria where she gave a Workshop and a Seminar on unemployment issues and labour market geographies.