New research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation examines inclusive growth: a major issue in the UK and internationally. To generate ideas to influence UK city leaders research, co-authored by IER's Anne Green and Erika Kispeter, Paul Sissons at Coventry University and Francesca Froy from Whose City Ltd, examined international examples of cities that have developed and implemented agendas and policies to combine economic growth and social inclusion. The research, How international cities lead inclusive growth agendas, highlights that the labour market is a core focus for policy to connect growth and inclusion and points to the importance of paying greater attention to the demand-side of the labour market and minimising the risks of transitions into and within employment.

IER's Professor Anne Green and Dr Erika Kispeter will give a presentation entitled 'Economic Sustainability Formulating Inclusive Growth Agendas for Cities: A Focus on Labour Markets' at a conference which celebrates the UN World Cities Day on 31 October. The presentation draws on a recently completed study, International policy and practice review: how do cities lead an inclusive growth agenda?, Anne and Erika conducted with Paul Sissons (University of Coventry) and Francesca Froy (Whose City?) for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The conference is organised by the Sustainable Cities Global Research Priority of the University of Warwick and aims to offer the opportunity to hear more about the wide variety of research being undertaken in the cities space.

New report for the Public Policy Institute for Wales identifies ways of harnessing employment opportunities in growth sectors in order to encourage the creation of sustainable employment opportunities which offer prospects for career progression.

Williams E. and Green A. (2016) New Directions in Employment Policy. Cardiff: PPIW.

Professor Rob Wilson contributes to NatWest's recent blog 'The 50% with Prospects?'. Drawing on IER's Working Futures work, produced by Rob with colleagues in IER and Cambridge Econometrics, he explains that, despite policies to reduce gender discrimination, the occupational employment structure remains “strongly segregated". Rob also talks about the losses of secretarial positions are expected to continue, but an uptick in the female-heavy caring and leisure sectors could provide a counterbalance. Find out more about the future labour market in Working Futures 2014-2014.

An independent Wolverhampton Skills and Employment Commission has been established to provide Wolverhampton City Council and its local partners with a set of practical recommendations on how to ensure that Wolverhampton has the appropriately skilled workforce required to support the City’s economic growth, to support the sustainability of businesses in the city and critically to ensure that residents and young people have access to the right skills provision to give them the best chance of securing employment. Anne Green, who was formerly Chair of the West Midlands Regional Observatory's Economy and Labour Force Topic Group and who has undertaken a series of research projects on local skills issues, has been invited to serve on the Commission and attended its first meeting at Molineux Stadium, the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, on 6 January 2015. For more details see the Commission's website.