IER was established 45 years ago with funding from the UK Government and what is now the European Commission. Its task then was to provide labour market forecasts to support policymaking. Read MoreLink opens in a new window Although government emphasis on skills has remained constant, government interest in employment policy more broadly has waxed and waned over the years.
However, 2025 will be remembered as the year that employment and labour markets become explicit, central tenets again in UK Government policy. Work has always been viewed as important for its material, social, psychological and economic benefits. Indeed, striving for full employment is a residual policy across governments globally and a goal of the United Nations. But this year, the UK Government launched a number of flagship actions to support and improve employment and labour markets: the Employment Rights Bill, Skills England, the Mayfield Review and a White Paper on Post-16 Education and Skills. It is also preparing to launch the new Fair Work Agency, a consolidation of a number of existing agencies into a single body long called for by IER. Cutting across all of these actions is an aim to create more good jobs.
In all of these actions IER continues to demonstrate its relevance for policy-focused research. As ever, IER was successful over the year in securing funding from a range of sources to conduct various aspects of employment and the labour market.
Continue reading at the IER news page for a full review of IER's research and activities in 2025.
IER is hiring a new Research Fellow
The Institute for Employment Research (IER) is seeking to appoint an outstanding Research Fellow to contribute to developing and enhancing its reputation as an internationally leading, multi-disciplinary research-only institute. Read MoreLink opens in a new window It is an opportunity for a researcher who wants to make a difference to be involved in policy-relevant research.
Research Fellows have the opportunity to gain experience in designing and conducting research projects and in disseminating findings. IER’s research tends to be team-based but all researchers are encouraged to develop their own research interests.
The deadline for applying is Monday 2nd February 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time)
Measuring 'Bad Jobs' Through Worker Wellbeing: New Evidence from South Korea
How do we define a 'bad job'? Moving beyond arbitrary thresholds, a new studyLink opens in a new window published in The Economic and Labour Relations Review, Read MoreLink opens in a new window applies a novel wellbeing-based methodology to identify bad jobs in South Korea's labour market.
Using Korean Working Conditions Survey data (2014-2023), IER's Dr Sangwoo LeeLink opens in a new window and Francis Green (UCL Institute of Education) demonstrate that workers in the bottom decile of job quality experience distinctly larger wellbeing gains when moving above this threshold – providing empirical justification for defining these as 'bad jobs'. The analysis reveals encouraging trends: bad job prevalence declined sharply from 22% in 2014 to 5-6% by 2017, likely reflecting both economic growth and major labour reforms. The study also uncovers distinctive features of Korea's dual labour market, where the intersection of employment status and firm size creates unique patterns of job quality disadvantage.
Notably, the findings differ from European patterns in key ways: bad jobs are less common in large Korean establishments (unlike in Europe), and educational attainment shows particularly strong protective effects at the tertiary level. However, gender patterns converge – men and women face similar bad job risks despite persistent wage gaps. This is the first application of a wellbeing-based approach to defining bad jobs outside Europe, demonstrating both the international applicability of the method and the importance of national context in understanding labour market quality.
Working in an everchanging world
Dr Katharina Sarter presented key findings from a project that investigated how public procurement professionals navigate the challenges of an everchanging environment at Procurex Wales, a key event for public procurement professionals in Wales. Read MoreLink opens in a new window
The study highlighted the constancy of change that public procurement professionals face and highlighted the importance of adaptability and learning for successful public procurement practice. The subsequent panel with practitioners from local and national government discussed current and future skills and considered how digital technologies and AI (may) impact on public procurement practice.
APPG on the Future of Work: AI, good jobs and regional growth
Professor Chris Warhurst, Director of IER, was invited to speak at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Future of Work: AI, good jobs and regional growth. Along with a panel consisting of tech trade bodies, trade unions and community activists, Read MoreLink opens in a new window he outlined the opportunities and challenges for employers and English Metropolitan Combined Authorities in boosting productivity through good work and digital technology in regional economies.
Creating and maintaining good, secure, and healthy work will remain a priority, given the rapidly changing context and the inevitable uncertainty that the future holds.
Image Credit: Social Sciences Connect Programme
Exploring what it means to get older
Professor Phillip Taylor was invited to take part in an event exploring what it means to get older, organised by the Resonate programme at the University of Warwick. Speaking alongside academics from other faculties, he emphasized ‘the importance and challenges of redesigning work for an ageing society’.
