Creating a new State of the Labour Market Index (SLMi) for the UK
The Institute for Employment Research (IER) is working across government departments to develop a new set of measures for the performance of the UK labour market.
Traditionally, measurement of how the labour market is functioning rests on rates of employment and unemployment. These measures are based on full employment being regarded as a good thing. Full employment remains a government priority.
However government and other stakeholders now expect more from the UK labour market in terms of how it is functioning. For example, they want to see the narrowing of regional disparities, the ending of skill mismatches for employers and more inclusive labour markets that delivers growth for all.
There is a pressing need to incorporate these wider expectations into assessment of the performance of the labour market. This short life project aims to develop a new set of indicators that reflect these wider expectations.
The work involves five UK Government departments plus the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as English regional government.
The project is funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and is led by Professor Peter Elias supported in IER by Sangwoo Lee, Katharina Sarter, Gill Dix, Terence Hogarth, Trine Larsen and Chris Warhurst. Professor Ashwin Kumar of Manchester Metropolitan University/IPPR is its advisor.
Project Team:
Peter Elias (Principal Investigator)
Advisor:
Ashwin Kumar of Manchester Metropolitan University/IPPR
Project Duration:
February - July 2025
Project Funder:
