How does self-employment contribute towards a productive labour market? Does this differ between solo self-employment and other types of self-employment?
Background
To make work pay and create a resilient labour market that underpins economic growth, we are looking to continuing building the best evidence base to support businesses and people. This applies to employers of and workers with different cost requirements, characteristics, skills, and immigration status. We recognise these factors will have direct impacts on living standards, poverty, wage expectations, and ability to spend or save.
This theme focuses on building a skilled, empowered workforce, essential for inclusive growth and innovation. This in turn will raise living standards, create opportunities for all, through tackling poor working conditions, low pay, and poor job security. We have included questions that relate to driving trends for labour allocation, skills development and retention, technology deployment, and best practise for businesses.
The ability to nurture a strong labour market and support employment rights includes:
- modernising the UK labour market and strengthening employment protections
- entitlement to parental leave, establishing bereavement leave, facilitating flexible working and protection from unfair dismissal
- increasing protection from sexual harassment, identifying gender and menopause action plans, and strengthening rights for pregnant workers
- ensuring security and flexibility for workers and for working families
- empowering workers, trade unions and employers to negotiate fair pay, terms and conditions, and training standards
- increasing employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, supporting them to thrive as part of a workforce
- strengthening workers’ rights and empowering employees to speak out against unfair processes and helping to remove unnecessary restrictions
Next steps
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Related UKRI funded projects
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Uncovering patterns and policy implications of how employee jobs and self-employment are combined
The employment landscape in the UK has radically changed in the last 20 years. One important aspect of this change is the rise of alternative (non-standard) work arrangements such as gig work and 'solo' self-employment w...
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Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on the combination of employee jobs and self-employment, but does not directly address the impact on a productive labor market.
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Addressing inclusivity in the spatial and social impacts of COVID-19 on the self-employed in the UK
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Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it addresses the impact of COVID-19 on the self-employed, but does not specifically focus on the contribution of self-employment to a productive labor market.
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Productivity, Wages and the Labour Market
Since the 2008 financial crisis, the UK has witnessed weak economic growth and stagnant productivity. While employment remained high, many jobs offer little security or opportunities for training and progression. Self-em...
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Why might this be relevant?
Fully relevant as it specifically focuses on productivity, wages, and the labor market, including the role of self-employment in driving inequalities and productivity.