IER Newsletter - Current Issue

IER Newsletter - July 2025

What does a healthy job look like?

IER’s Professor Chris WarhurstLink opens in a new window presented new research at the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) annual conference in Montreal on 9 July 2025. Drawing on findings from projects funded by Deloitte and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), his paper explored the deceptively simple question: what would a healthy job look like? Read MoreLink opens in a new window

The presentation examined how job design, working conditions, and organisational practices intersect to shape employee health, offering insights for both policymakers and employers seeking to improve job quality and wellbeing.

IER to develop new ‘State of the Labour Market Index’

IER is leading a cross-government project to create a new State of the Labour Market Index (SLMi)—a more comprehensive way to assess how the UK labour market is functioning. While employment and unemployment rates remain important, policymakers now expect the labour market to deliver more: reduced regional disparities, fewer skill mismatches, and greater inclusivity. The SLMi will incorporate these broader expectations into a new set of indicators. Read MoreLink opens in a new window

Funded by the Joseph Rowntree FoundationLink opens in a new window, the project involves five UK Government departments, the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and English regional authorities. Professor Peter EliasLink opens in a new window leads the IER team. For more information, see our project websiteLink opens in a new window.

IER showcases skills intelligence research at global forum

Professor Terence HogarthLink opens in a new window and Gianni AnelliLink opens in a new window participated in the 2025 International Forum on Skills Intelligence (IFSI), an online event hosted by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) on 3–4 July. The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss recent developments in skills intelligence, labour market monitoring, and data-driven approaches to inform education and training systems. Read MoreLink opens in a new window

Professor Terence Hogarth delivered one of the keynote presentations, examining the role of different data sources in identifying current and emerging skill needs. He reflected on the evolving landscape of skills intelligence, and the comparative strengths and limitations of employer surveys, administrative datasets, and online job postings. His presentation also addressed the institutional challenges of integrating these sources into coherent, policy-relevant frameworks.

Gianni Anelli contributed to a parallel session with a presentation on the use of large-scale online vacancy and CV data to identify skill shortages in Chile. His intervention outlined a multidimensional indicator framework for detecting shortages in near real time and explored how online microdata can complement traditional survey-based methods.

The IER’s contributions to the forum reflected its ongoing commitment to international collaboration and to strengthening the evidence base for skills and employment policy.

IER insights: living wages, productivity and the future of work in Trinidad and Tobago

A growing conversation in Trinidad and Tobago is putting the spotlight on the concept of a living wage, with workers in Port of Spain suggesting a realistic figure of TT$4,000–$6,000 per month, even for individuals without dependents or rent costs. As the government signals its intention to move beyond a baseline minimum wage, businesses have raised concerns about affordability and the survival of SMEs. IER’s Dr Jamelia HarrisLink opens in a new window, who was interviewed for the Express, welcomed the idea from a social justice and economic standpoint, noting that a living wage can reduce poverty and boost consumer spending. Read MoreLink opens in a new window

However, she cautioned that implementation must be based on sound data and economic capacity. At the Warwick Institute of Employment Research, Dr Harris said. “We’ve found that paying a living wage improves productivity and wellbeing—but translating this to Trinidad and Tobago will also require a cultural shift in work practices.” Dr Harris's comments underscore the importance of combining robust economic planning with fair labour standards, an approach central to IER’s ongoing research on job quality and decent work.

Former IER PhD student awarded ESRC IAA postdoctoral impact fellowship

We are delighted to share that Dr Danya NusseirLink opens in a new window, a former PhD student at IER, has been awarded a 2025–26 ESRC IAA Postdoctoral Impact Fellowship for her project on Digital Skills for Arab Refugee Women Focused on Online Job Search and Application. She will be mentored by Gaby Atfield Link opens in a new windowand based at the Warwick Institute for Employment Research during the fellowship. Read MoreLink opens in a new window

Building on her doctoral research, Danya’s project aims to support the labour market integration of Arab refugee women, one of the most marginalised and underserved groups, by developing an inclusive and cost-effective digital skills training toolkit. The resource will focus on practical, job-specific digital competencies such as online job search and application, tailored to the specific barriers refugee women face.

The toolkit will be made available to local and international NGOs delivering digital skills training, and will also inform government officials and policymakers working on digital inclusion and employment strategies. A complementary policy and practice document will further strengthen the project's impact by translating research findings into actionable guidance.

Physical space matters

While trusted spaces and place-based approaches are common considerations in relation to service delivery, the relationship between a service and physical material space often remains neglected. In their new article “Spatiality of Service Delivery in the Covid-19 Pandemic: Transcending Spatial Boundaries or Accommodating Logistical Challenges?”, Dr Katharina SarterLink opens in a new window and Dr Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey argue that the relationship between a service and requirements relating to physical space is vital for understanding service delivery. Read MoreLink opens in a new window

Distinguishing between physicality-bound and non-physicality-bound services, the article investigates the experiences of voluntary sector organisations delivering services during the Covid-19 pandemic and shows that spatial requirements were crucial for shaping strategies and experiences of service delivery, especially as spatial requirements may open or foreclose opportunities for digitalisation.

E.K.Sarter & Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey (2025). Spatiality of Service Delivery in the Covid-19 Pandemic: Transcending Spatial Boundaries or Accommodating Logistical Challenges? Social Policy & Administration.

Other publications

Warhurst, C., Knox, A., & Wright, S. (2025). Developing a Standard Measure of Job Quality. Work, Employment and Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170251325774

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