We want to understand what causes people to fare well in the labour market, and how changes to the world of work affect people’s well-being.
Well-being in work is influenced by a number of factors. These include the ability to enter and progress in employment, people’s control and autonomy over the way they work and inequalities in the labour market including those related to age, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation.
Our research into work and the labour market seeks to understand how the structure of work is changing, for example through the rise of the gig economy. We explore how these changes affect people’s economic, social, physical and emotional outcomes, such as through the impact on income, job security and health.
We fund research that looks to inform policy and practice solutions by mitigating risks or creating potential for positive outcomes. In particular, we wish to support research into how family, work and the intersection of the two will affect individual and societal well-being in future years. This includes the impact of new technologies and links between digital and social exclusion.
Our impact in work and the labour market
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The Economy 2030 Inquiry is informing debate across government and beyond on the key challenges facing the UK economy, and the potential effects on people, places, and firms. Findings show that the experience of work for low earners has deteriorated at a faster rate than for those who earn more.
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Research led by Rebecca Riley at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research explored the effects of increased import competition from low wage economies and found population decline and deskilling in local areas more exposed to import competition, with important implications for the levelling up agenda.
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Our research into risk aversion, earnings uncertainty and labour supply investigated and debunked the claims that unstable jobs spur employment growth and reduce unemployment and found that earnings uncertainty actually depresses willingness to work.
