Welfare and Social Inclusion

Overview

IER has undertaken a broad range of work on social inclusion encompassing workforce diversity, gender issues, studies on the labour market integration of younger people, research on paid and unpaid work in later life, the projection of employment by ethnic group and the deployment of migrants in the workforce, in particular sectors and more widely. Research on social inclusion has become more significant with the introduction of the Equality Act 2010.

A key focus at IER has also been research on in- work poverty, unemployment and worklessness and the development and evaluation of welfare policies - most recently via the Commission for Social Security, funded by the Trust for London, and the evaluation of Talent Match, a five-year programme supporting young people into work. Support for those out of work and welfare issues more generally have been key issues during the pandemic and may continue to do so during the post-Covid recovery.

Research areas

Ageing and employment
Equal opportunities and workforce diversity
Evaluation and development of welfare policies
Gender and social equality
Migration and social mobility
Unemployment and worklessness
Work and poverty
Youth labour market

Key contacts

Gaby Atfield

Michael Orton

Core team members

Beate Baldauf
Sally-Anne Barnes
Erika Kispeter
David Owen

Blogs

We’re all in this together: Strategies for achieving employee retention during COVID-19 (20 October 2020).

Selected recent projects

Ageing and employment

Age Unlimited - Learning Partner, National Endowment of Science; Technology and the Arts (NESTA) (2010-2012).

Activating Senior Potential in Ageing Europe, EU (2008-2011).

Equal opportunities and workforce diversity

Carrying the work burden of the Covid-19 pandemic: working class women in the UK; UKRI (2020-2021).

Evaluation and development of welfare policies

Commission on Social Security; Trust for London (2018–2022).

Talent match evaluation and learning contract, Big Lottery Fund (2014-2015).

Gender and social equality

The state of sexism in UK schools; Funded by UK Feminista (2016-2017).

Migration and social mobility

Literature review: employer decision-making around skill/employee shortages and migration; Home Office (2020).

Impact of changes to international migration; Tech UK (2019-2020).

Migration and Construction 2018: The role of EU & non-Eu nationals in the UK Construction & Built Environment Sector; CITB (2018).

Unemployment and worklessness

Transnational Employment Platform - Long Term Unemployment; European Commission (2018 - 2019).

Theory and Practice of Change for a World without Poverty; Webb Memorial Trust (2016- 2017).

Work and poverty

Solving Poverty: Reforming Social Security/Welfare Benefits; Joseph Rowntree (2017).

Harnessing growth sectors for poverty reduction; ESRC (2014 - 2016).

International policy and practice review: how do cities lead and inclusive growth agenda?; JRF (2016)

Intergenerational worklessness and fragile employment; WAG (2015 - 2016).

Youth labour market

Precarious pathways to employment for young people? Unpaid, temporary and involuntary part-time work in transitions from education to employment; ESRC (2014 - 2017).

NET MED Youth project: Situational analysis; UNESCO. (2014 - 2015).

Selected recent publications & downloads

Ageing and employment

Organisational reflections on the impact of working and caring on older volunteering - (2014)

Lindley, R. and Principi, A., In: Principi, A., Jensen, P.H. and Lamura, G., eds. Active ageing: Voluntary work by older people in Europe. Bristol: The Policy Press, pp. 275-296. ISBN 9781447307204.

Older volunteers in England: Towards greater flexibility and inclusiveness? - (2014) Lindley, R., Baldauf, B., Galloway, S., and Li, Y., In: Principi, A., Jensen, P.H. and Lamura, G., eds. Active ageing: Voluntary work by older people in Europe. Bristol: The Policy Press, pp. 119-133. ISBN 9781447307204.

Volunteering in older age: an organizational perspective - (2012) Principi, A., Lindley, R., Perek-Bialas, J. and Turek, K. International Journal of Manpower, 33(6), pp. 685-703.

Active ageing in organisations: a case study approach - (2012) Frerichs, F., Lindley, R., Aleksandrowicz, P., Baldauf, B. and Galloway, S. Working and ageing: International Journal of Manpower, 33(6), pp. 666 - 684.

Changing patterns of guidance, learning and careers of older workers in Europe - (2011) Brown, A. and Bimrose, J. Working and ageing: Guidance and counselling for mature learners. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, pp. 166 - 187.[view]

Equal opportunities and workforce diversity

Ungrateful slaves? An examination of job quality and job satisfaction for male part-time workers in the UK - (2020) Warren, T. and Lyonette, C. British Journal of Sociology 71 (2): 382-402.

The state of sexism in schools - (2017) Atfield, G., Kispeter, E. and Lyonette, C.

Making the best of a bad job? Women and part-time work in the UK - (2016) Lyonette, C., Baldauf, B. and Behle, H. Springer: UK.[view]

Projecting employment by ethnic group to 2022, Report for the JRF Poverty and Ethnicity Programme - (2015) Owen, D.W, Green, A.E., Gambin, L. and Li, Y.

Evaluation and development of welfare policies

No Voice, No Choice: Assessing Danish Active Labour Market Policies using Sens's Capability approach - (2020) Fernandez-Urbano, R. and Orton, M. Work, Employment and Society. 2021;35(1):178-188.

Active labour market policy in the UK: At a (local) crossroads? - (2019) Orton, M. and Green, A. E. Local Economy 34 (1), 3-9.

Employer Participation in Active Labour Market Policy: Reactive Gatekeepers to Proactive Strategic Partners - (2018) Orton, M., Green, A., Atfield, G. and Barnes, S-A. Journal of Social Policy.

Participation in Active Labour Market Policy: Reactive Gatekeepers to Proactive - (2018) Orton, M., Green, A., Atfield, G. and Barnes, S-A. Journal of Social Policy.

A challenge to the status quo": Early experiences of involving young people in the Talent Match programme - (2014) Atfield, G., Bashir, N., Crisp, R. and Powell, R. Sheffield: Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University.

Gender and social equality

Warren, T. and Lyonette, C. and the Women's Budget Group. (2021). 'Carrying the work burden of the Covid-19 pandemic: working class women in the UK

Social Identity and Aspiration - Double Jeopardy or Intersectionality? Evidence from Rural India - (2020) Sarkar, S., Chakravorty, B. and Lyonette, C. GLO Discussion Paper Series 724, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

And… action? Gender, knowledge and inequalities in the UK screen industries - (2019) Eikhof, D. R., Newsinger, J., Luchinskaya, D., and Aidley, D. Gender, Work & Organization. Advance online publication.

Employment Change in Occupations in Urban India: Implications for Wage Inequality - (2017) Sarkar, S. Warwick Institute for Employment Research Working Paper 2017/101. Coventry, University of Warwick.[view]

Care-Connect policy Alert 1: Work, Care, Welfare and Women - (2014) Kispeter, E and Yeandle, S. Leeds, UK: Care-Connect at the University of Leeds.[view]

Migration and social mobility

Employer decision-making around skill shortages, employee shortages and migration: Literature Review - (2020) Green, A., Owen, D., Atfield, G., Baldauf, B., Bramley, G. and Kispeter, E. Birmingham and Coventry: City-REDI, University of Birmingham, and Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick.

Migration: theory, research and practice in guidance and counselling - (2019) Hughes, D. Akkök, F., Arulmani, G & Zelloth, H. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 47:1, 1-5

The adult skills gap: is falling investment in UK adults stalling social mobility? - (2019) Luchinskaya, D. and Dickinson, P. London: Social Mobility Commission (Social Mobility Commission Report).

Migration and construction: The view from employers, recruiters and non-UK workers - (2017) Winterbotham, M, Kik, G, O’Driscoll, C, Selner, S, Morrice, N, Green, A, Kispeter, E, Owen, D, Evans, A. CITB.

Involving community researchers in refugee research' - (2012) Atfield, G., Brahmbhatt, K., Hakimi, H., and O'Toole, T. Editors: Goodson, L. and Phillimore, J. (9781847424358) Policy Press. Community Research for Participation: From Theory to Method.

Unemployment and worklessness

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 - (2019) Barnes, S-A. and Wright, S.A. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Breaking the Cycle: What Works in Reducing Intergenerational Worklessness and Fragile Employment - (2016) Luchinskaya, D. and Green, A. Cardiff: Public Policy Institute for Wales.

Policy Innovation in a Fragmented and Complex Multilevel Governance Context: Worklessness and the City Strategy in Great Britain - (2012) Green, A.E. and Orton, M. Regional Studies, 46(2), pp. 153 - 164.

Local differences, perceptions and Incapacity Benefit claimants: implications for policy delivery. - (2010) Green, A.E. and Shuttleworth, I. Policy Studies, 31(2), pp. 223 - 243.

Work and poverty

Challenges for anti-poverty action: developing approaches that are solutions focused, participative and collaborative - (2019) Orton, M. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice.

Living with debt after advice. A longitudinal study of people on low incomes - (2016) Atfield, G., Lindley, R. and Orton, M. York: Friends Provident Foundation. Also available: Summary report.

In-work support: What is the role of in-work support in a successful transition to sustained employment? - (2014) Green, A., Barnes, S-A., Gore, T. and Damm, C. York: TM Case Study Summary Theme Report. Sheffield: CRESR/Big Lottery.

How cities can connect people in poverty with jobs - (2015) Green, A.E., Sissons, P., Broughton, K., and de Hoyos, M. with Warhurst, C. and Barnes, S-A. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Youth labour market

Present Tense, Future Imperfect? Young People's pathways into work - (2017) Purcell, K., Elias, P., Green, A., Mizen, P., Simms, M., Whiteside, N., Wilson, D., Robertson, A. and C. Tzanakou. London: London Enterprise Panel and London Councils. Coventry: Institute for Employment Research.

London Ambitions: Shaping a careers offer for all young Londoners - (2015) Hughes, D. London: London Enterprise Panel and London Councils.

The Concept of Employability with a Specific Focus on Young People, Older Workers and Migrants - (2013)

Literature Review on Employability, Inclusion and ICT, Report 1 - Green, A.E., De Hoyos, M., Barnes, S-A., Owen, D.W., Baldauf, B. and Behle, H. JRC Technical Report Series, EUR 25794 EN, Editors: Centeno C, Stewart J, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, [view]