an article by Jane Scoular, Jane Pitcher and Stewart Cunningham (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK), Teela Sanders (University of Leicester, UK) and Rosie Campbell (University of York, UK) published in Journal of Law and Society Volume 46 Number 2 (June 2019)
Abstract
Drawing on the largest study of the United Kingdom online market in sexual labour to date, this article examines the legal and regulatory consequences as aspects of sex work increasingly take place within an online environment.
Our research shows that while governmental policy has not kept abreast of these changes, the application of current laws (which have, since the 1950s, focused on public nuisance and, more recently, trafficking and modern slavery) are pernicious to sex workers and unsuited to recognizing and responding to the abuses and exploitation in online markets in sexual labour.
These injustices are likely to be exacerbated if policies and policing do not better align with the realities of these markets in the twenty‐first century. This demands a more nuanced regulatory approach which recognizes that people may engage in sex work of their own volition, but which also addresses conditions of labour and criminal exploitation.
Full text (PDF 29pp)
Showing posts with label government_policy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government_policy. Show all posts
Monday, 3 June 2019
Sunday, 29 October 2017
In-work poverty in the EU
a report published by Eurofound by Daphne Ahrendt, Eszter Sándor, Adam Revello, Jean-Marie Jungblut and Robert Anderson
The ‘working poor’ are a substantial group, the latest estimate putting 10% of European workers at risk of poverty, up from 8% in 2007. This report describes the development of in-work poverty in the EU since the crisis of 2008, picking up where an earlier Eurofound report on this subject, published in 2010, ended and looks at what countries have done to combat the problem since.
This endeavour is complicated by the policy focus on employment as a route out of poverty, underplaying the considerable financial, social and personal difficulties experienced by the working poor.
The increase in non-standard forms of employment in many countries appears to have contributed to rising in-work poverty.
The report argues the case for greater policy attention and action on the part of governments, employers and social partners, not only through direct measures associated with both the minimum and living wage, progressive taxation, in-work benefits and social assistance, but also and more importantly through indirect measures such as more flexible working arrangements, housing, upgrading of skills and childcare.
PDF (66 pages) and print copy (free) are available
The ‘working poor’ are a substantial group, the latest estimate putting 10% of European workers at risk of poverty, up from 8% in 2007. This report describes the development of in-work poverty in the EU since the crisis of 2008, picking up where an earlier Eurofound report on this subject, published in 2010, ended and looks at what countries have done to combat the problem since.
This endeavour is complicated by the policy focus on employment as a route out of poverty, underplaying the considerable financial, social and personal difficulties experienced by the working poor.
The increase in non-standard forms of employment in many countries appears to have contributed to rising in-work poverty.
The report argues the case for greater policy attention and action on the part of governments, employers and social partners, not only through direct measures associated with both the minimum and living wage, progressive taxation, in-work benefits and social assistance, but also and more importantly through indirect measures such as more flexible working arrangements, housing, upgrading of skills and childcare.
PDF (66 pages) and print copy (free) are available
Thursday, 2 February 2017
Will We Ever Stop Using Fossil Fuels?
an article by Thomas Covert and Michael Greenstone (University of Chicago, Illinois, USA) and Christopher R. Knittel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA published in Journal of Economic Perspectives Volume 30 Number 1 (Winter 2016)
Abstract
Scientists believe significant climate change is unavoidable without a drastic reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels.
However, few countries have implemented comprehensive policies that price this externality or devote serious resources to developing low-carbon energy sources. In many respects, the world is betting that we will greatly reduce the use of fossil fuels because we will run out of inexpensive fossil fuels (there will be decreases in supply) and/or technological advances will lead to the discovery of less-expensive low-carbon technologies (there will be decreases in demand).
The historical record indicates that the supply of fossil fuels has consistently increased over time and that their relative price advantage over low-carbon energy sources has not declined substantially over time.
Without robust efforts to correct the market failures around greenhouse gases, relying on supply and/or demand forces to limit greenhouse gas emissions is relying heavily on hope.
JEL Classification: Q35, Q42, Q53, Q58, Q48
Full text (PDF)
Hazel’s comment:
This article was, of course, written some considerable time before the change of policy in the USA about climate change.
Experts are now to be ignored.
Abstract
Scientists believe significant climate change is unavoidable without a drastic reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels.
However, few countries have implemented comprehensive policies that price this externality or devote serious resources to developing low-carbon energy sources. In many respects, the world is betting that we will greatly reduce the use of fossil fuels because we will run out of inexpensive fossil fuels (there will be decreases in supply) and/or technological advances will lead to the discovery of less-expensive low-carbon technologies (there will be decreases in demand).
The historical record indicates that the supply of fossil fuels has consistently increased over time and that their relative price advantage over low-carbon energy sources has not declined substantially over time.
Without robust efforts to correct the market failures around greenhouse gases, relying on supply and/or demand forces to limit greenhouse gas emissions is relying heavily on hope.
JEL Classification: Q35, Q42, Q53, Q58, Q48
Full text (PDF)
Hazel’s comment:
This article was, of course, written some considerable time before the change of policy in the USA about climate change.
Experts are now to be ignored.
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Bringing the “right to request” flexible working arrangements to life: from policies to practices
an article by Rae Cooper and Marian Baird (Unviversity of Sydney, Australia) published in Employee Relations Volume 37 Issue 5 (2015)
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand how the “right to request” flexible working arrangements (FWAs), located in national policy and in organisational policy contexts, are brought to life in the workplace by employees and their managers. The authors seek to understand the nature and content of requests, the process followed in attending to requests, the scope of the arrangements which resulted and the implications for the work of both employees and managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employ a case study method, investigating how formal “right to request” FWAs policies translate to practice within two large companies in Australia. The primary data focuses on 66 in-depth interviews with line managers, employees and key organisational informants. These interviews are triangulated with legislative, company and union policy documents.
Findings
Most requests were made by mothers returning from maternity leave. Typically their requests involved an attempt to move from full-time to part-time hours. The authors found a considerable knowledge deficit among the employees making requests and a high level of informality in the processing of requests. As a result, managers played a critical role in structuring both the procedure and the substantive outcomes of FWAs requests. Managers’ personal experience and levels of commitment to FWAs were critical in the process, but their response was constrained by, among other things, conflicting organisational policies.
Research limitations/implications
The scale of the empirical research is possibly limited by a focus on large companies in the private sector.
Practical implications
The authors provide insight into the implementation gap between FWA policy and practice. The authors make suggestions as to how to make “right to request” policies more accessible and effective.
Social implications
The “right to request” flexible working is an issue of critical importance to families, employees, managers, organisations and economies.
Originality/value
“Right to request” FWAs are relatively new in legislation and policy and thus the authors have an incomplete understanding of how they operate and come to life at the workplace level. The authors show a significant implementation gap between policy and practice and point to some of the critical influences on this. Among other things, the authors build new insight in relation to the interaction of formal and informal and the role and place of the direct manager in the process of operationalising the “right to request”.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand how the “right to request” flexible working arrangements (FWAs), located in national policy and in organisational policy contexts, are brought to life in the workplace by employees and their managers. The authors seek to understand the nature and content of requests, the process followed in attending to requests, the scope of the arrangements which resulted and the implications for the work of both employees and managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employ a case study method, investigating how formal “right to request” FWAs policies translate to practice within two large companies in Australia. The primary data focuses on 66 in-depth interviews with line managers, employees and key organisational informants. These interviews are triangulated with legislative, company and union policy documents.
Findings
Most requests were made by mothers returning from maternity leave. Typically their requests involved an attempt to move from full-time to part-time hours. The authors found a considerable knowledge deficit among the employees making requests and a high level of informality in the processing of requests. As a result, managers played a critical role in structuring both the procedure and the substantive outcomes of FWAs requests. Managers’ personal experience and levels of commitment to FWAs were critical in the process, but their response was constrained by, among other things, conflicting organisational policies.
Research limitations/implications
The scale of the empirical research is possibly limited by a focus on large companies in the private sector.
Practical implications
The authors provide insight into the implementation gap between FWA policy and practice. The authors make suggestions as to how to make “right to request” policies more accessible and effective.
Social implications
The “right to request” flexible working is an issue of critical importance to families, employees, managers, organisations and economies.
Originality/value
“Right to request” FWAs are relatively new in legislation and policy and thus the authors have an incomplete understanding of how they operate and come to life at the workplace level. The authors show a significant implementation gap between policy and practice and point to some of the critical influences on this. Among other things, the authors build new insight in relation to the interaction of formal and informal and the role and place of the direct manager in the process of operationalising the “right to request”.
Monday, 29 July 2013
Government is failing to acknowledge we're not ready for ageing
via JRF blog
If the Government wants people to get ready for ageing, it needs to lead the way, says Claire Turner.
At the end of last week, the Government issued its formal response to the Ready for Ageing report published in March by the House of Lord’s Select Committee on Public Services and Demographic Change. The Committee’s report concluded that the Government and our society are ‘woefully underprepared’ for our ageing population and called on the Government to set out a clear and overarching vision, in a White or Green Paper, with analysis of the issues and the best options for preparing for an ageing society.
Continue reading
If the Government wants people to get ready for ageing, it needs to lead the way, says Claire Turner.
At the end of last week, the Government issued its formal response to the Ready for Ageing report published in March by the House of Lord’s Select Committee on Public Services and Demographic Change. The Committee’s report concluded that the Government and our society are ‘woefully underprepared’ for our ageing population and called on the Government to set out a clear and overarching vision, in a White or Green Paper, with analysis of the issues and the best options for preparing for an ageing society.
Continue reading
Friday, 12 July 2013
Perceptions of work as a route away from crime
an article by Sam King (Based in the Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, UK) published in Safer Communities Volume 12 Issue 3 (2013)
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of work as a means of desisting from crime among a group of male probationers.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with male probationers to ascertain their views on desistance from crime and the factors which would enable or constrain them in their endeavours.
Findings
The research found that individuals regard employment as a key conduit to maintaining desistance from crime, but that several barriers exist to achieving this. Crucially, the research found that individuals identified various difficulties associated with external agencies to whom they had been referred for assistance in obtaining employment. This poses questions of the current government’s approach towards expanding public-private partnerships in probation.
Research limitations/implications
The research is based on a small sample of 20 male probationers. However, the findings suggest that further research should be conducted in this area.
Social implications
The research raises questions about recent government policy in this area, and about the effectiveness of some approaches designed to reduce reoffending.
Originality/value
The research examines an area of desistance which has previously received little attention. The findings are of concern for academics and practitioners concerned with desistance and recidivism.
Hazel’s comment:
And also of concern, I would have thought, for practitioners trying to help ex-offenders find and retain suitable employment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of work as a means of desisting from crime among a group of male probationers.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with male probationers to ascertain their views on desistance from crime and the factors which would enable or constrain them in their endeavours.
Findings
The research found that individuals regard employment as a key conduit to maintaining desistance from crime, but that several barriers exist to achieving this. Crucially, the research found that individuals identified various difficulties associated with external agencies to whom they had been referred for assistance in obtaining employment. This poses questions of the current government’s approach towards expanding public-private partnerships in probation.
Research limitations/implications
The research is based on a small sample of 20 male probationers. However, the findings suggest that further research should be conducted in this area.
Social implications
The research raises questions about recent government policy in this area, and about the effectiveness of some approaches designed to reduce reoffending.
Originality/value
The research examines an area of desistance which has previously received little attention. The findings are of concern for academics and practitioners concerned with desistance and recidivism.
Hazel’s comment:
And also of concern, I would have thought, for practitioners trying to help ex-offenders find and retain suitable employment.
Monday, 1 July 2013
Is the Work Programme Working for Single Parents? An Analysis of the Experience of Single Parents on the Work Programme
a report by Laura Dewar (Senior Policy & Parliamentary Officer, Single Parent Action Network)
Unfortunately the Executive Summary to this report is really too long to be reproduced in a blog post and there is no abstract.
It is well worth reading though, particularly if you have in the past been involved in the barriers to learning for single parents. Why is it that I am still reading about the same barriers as I was some 20 to 30 years ago? Does no-one ever learn?
Full text (PDF 34pp)
Unfortunately the Executive Summary to this report is really too long to be reproduced in a blog post and there is no abstract.
It is well worth reading though, particularly if you have in the past been involved in the barriers to learning for single parents. Why is it that I am still reading about the same barriers as I was some 20 to 30 years ago? Does no-one ever learn?
Full text (PDF 34pp)
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
The Political Economy of Work and Employment: The business case for equal opportunities
an article by Rebecca Riley, Hilary Metcalf and John Forth (NIESR) published in Industrial Relations Journal Volume 44 Issue 3 (May 2013)
Abstract
It has long been argued that equality of opportunity brings business benefits and that it is in employers’ interest to implement policy to promote equality of opportunity.
Our analysis of the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 found neither large and widespread business benefits, nor large and widespread costs associated with Equal Opportunities policies amongst the establishments that implement these.
Given the net benefits to society of equal opportunities policies, this suggests that public and private benefits are likely to differ substantially and points to the need for policy intervention.
Abstract
It has long been argued that equality of opportunity brings business benefits and that it is in employers’ interest to implement policy to promote equality of opportunity.
Our analysis of the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 found neither large and widespread business benefits, nor large and widespread costs associated with Equal Opportunities policies amongst the establishments that implement these.
Given the net benefits to society of equal opportunities policies, this suggests that public and private benefits are likely to differ substantially and points to the need for policy intervention.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Trade unions and the pension crisis: defending member interests in a neoliberal world
an article by Jo Grady (University of Leicester, UK) published in Employee Relations Volume 35 Issue 3 (2013)
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to draw upon empirical research in order to demonstrate the ways in which trade unions have responded to the so-called current UK pension crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses both theoretical approaches to neoliberalism, and empirical research in the form of interviews, to examine the contradictions between the rhetoric and reality of government policy towards, and trade union responses to, pension reform in the UK.
Findings
That trade unions have been constrained by: the fact that the labour party, which they support, has been in government but has increasingly become receptive to neoliberal economic policies; and by the broader discourse of pension reform, advanced by elites that are committed to neoliberal reforms to the British welfare state.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the paper is large and thus certain issues regarding the pension crisis and ideology are not covered in as much detail as would be preferred.
Practical implications
The paper offers forward a unique critique regarding the current favoured pension policies and solutions.
Originality/value
This paper draws upon front-line theoretical contributions and combines them with the author's interviews with leading trade union general secretaries. As such, it is a unique insight into not only the current so-called “pensions crisis” but also the responses of trade unions, and the labour movement more broadly, to this constructed dilemma.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to draw upon empirical research in order to demonstrate the ways in which trade unions have responded to the so-called current UK pension crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses both theoretical approaches to neoliberalism, and empirical research in the form of interviews, to examine the contradictions between the rhetoric and reality of government policy towards, and trade union responses to, pension reform in the UK.
Findings
That trade unions have been constrained by: the fact that the labour party, which they support, has been in government but has increasingly become receptive to neoliberal economic policies; and by the broader discourse of pension reform, advanced by elites that are committed to neoliberal reforms to the British welfare state.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the paper is large and thus certain issues regarding the pension crisis and ideology are not covered in as much detail as would be preferred.
Practical implications
The paper offers forward a unique critique regarding the current favoured pension policies and solutions.
Originality/value
This paper draws upon front-line theoretical contributions and combines them with the author's interviews with leading trade union general secretaries. As such, it is a unique insight into not only the current so-called “pensions crisis” but also the responses of trade unions, and the labour movement more broadly, to this constructed dilemma.
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Influencing citizen behaviours to achieve policy outcomes: From the bottom up
a research paper published by Deloitte in October 20120
Background
Governments seek to help citizens make the right choices such as to recycle, to eat healthily, to stop smoking, or to read to our children.
This paper examines case studies of some organisations that have effectively used behavioural approaches to influence people to make choices, and illustrates how these approaches could help central and local government in the UK.
Full report (PDF 28pp)
Warning: This document has a lot of colour and took ages to download.
Background
Governments seek to help citizens make the right choices such as to recycle, to eat healthily, to stop smoking, or to read to our children.
This paper examines case studies of some organisations that have effectively used behavioural approaches to influence people to make choices, and illustrates how these approaches could help central and local government in the UK.
Full report (PDF 28pp)
Warning: This document has a lot of colour and took ages to download.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Fronting up to skills utilisation: what can we learn from Scotland's skills utilisation projects?
an article by Jonathan Payne (ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance, Cardiff University) published in Policy Studies Volume 33 Issue 5 (September 2012)
Abstract
Policy makers in many countries have long insisted that skills are critical to economic performance and social cohesion/inclusion.
However, it is increasingly recognised that if skills are to fully deliver on this agenda, they have to be used effectively inside the workplace. While such statements can now be observed in the skills strategies of England, Scotland and Wales, much less is understood about how to design effective interventions in this new and challenging area of policy. Of particular interest then are the 12 ‘action research’ projects currently being funded by the Scottish Funding Council, which are aimed at testing the role that universities and colleges might potentially play in improving skills utilisation.
Drawing upon interviews with project managers, employers and employees involved in three of the projects as well as with key Scottish policy makers, the article examines progress to date. It finds some initial evidence for establishing proof of concept and highlights challenges in terms of capacity building and sustainability.
Drawing parallels with Scandinavian workplace development programmes, the article argues that the programme can potentially contribute to a broader approach to business improvement and innovation policy in Scotland, with universities and colleges more closely engaged as a key strategic partner.
Abstract
Policy makers in many countries have long insisted that skills are critical to economic performance and social cohesion/inclusion.
However, it is increasingly recognised that if skills are to fully deliver on this agenda, they have to be used effectively inside the workplace. While such statements can now be observed in the skills strategies of England, Scotland and Wales, much less is understood about how to design effective interventions in this new and challenging area of policy. Of particular interest then are the 12 ‘action research’ projects currently being funded by the Scottish Funding Council, which are aimed at testing the role that universities and colleges might potentially play in improving skills utilisation.
Drawing upon interviews with project managers, employers and employees involved in three of the projects as well as with key Scottish policy makers, the article examines progress to date. It finds some initial evidence for establishing proof of concept and highlights challenges in terms of capacity building and sustainability.
Drawing parallels with Scandinavian workplace development programmes, the article argues that the programme can potentially contribute to a broader approach to business improvement and innovation policy in Scotland, with universities and colleges more closely engaged as a key strategic partner.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Chancellor announces new tax-advantaged employee ownership regime
via Out-Law News (legal news and guidance from Pinsent Masons)
Employees could be given shares in their companies in exchange for giving up certain employment rights under plans for a new type of employment contract announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Full story
Hazel’s comment:
I would be somewhat concerned, as an employment adviser, about employers having the right to choose whether to offer the new contracts of employment to new employees from next April. The devil will be in the detail but if it is a case of accept this package or get lost ... !
And as an employer I would be worried about control of my company if I have owner-employees who could potentially get together and oust me from my position as managing director.
Employees could be given shares in their companies in exchange for giving up certain employment rights under plans for a new type of employment contract announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Full story
Hazel’s comment:
I would be somewhat concerned, as an employment adviser, about employers having the right to choose whether to offer the new contracts of employment to new employees from next April. The devil will be in the detail but if it is a case of accept this package or get lost ... !
And as an employer I would be worried about control of my company if I have owner-employees who could potentially get together and oust me from my position as managing director.
Thursday, 27 September 2012
The role of universities in higher apprenticeship development
an article by Adrian Anderson (UVAC and University of Bolton), Darryll Bravenboer (Institute for Work Based Learning, Middlesex University) and David Hemsworth, (Haywards Heath, UK) published in Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning Volume 2 Issue 3 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
To date, few universities have been involved in the Government-funded drive to expand higher apprenticeships across England. Universities have a track record of expertise and innovation in professional and work-based learning that can significantly contribute to the higher-level skills agenda and could have a pivotal role in the rapidly growing initiative to develop higher apprenticeship programmes. The purpose of this paper is to outline the potential contribution universities could make to higher apprenticeship and the potential barriers to university engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an analysis of skills and higher education policy, initiatives and related research in England as the context for university involvement in higher apprenticeship. A case study is used to illustrate the benefits of and barriers to university involvement, including an uneven funding policy playing field for universities and misconceptions regarding professional competence and practice-based higher-level learning.
Findings
The paper illustrates the potential benefits university involvement in higher apprenticeship could deliver for employers and learners by supporting individual career progression and social mobility, and by providing employers and employees with clear and cost effective work-based pathways to management roles. It concludes that the current barriers to university involvement may result in a missed opportunity to maximise value from public investment in the workforce development expertise of universities, redeployed to realise higher apprenticeship innovation.
Originality/value
The authors believe this paper is the only academic analysis of the value of and barriers to university involvement in the current Westminster Government flagship Higher Apprenticeship programme. The case study included has not featured in any other academic journal.
Abstract
Purpose
To date, few universities have been involved in the Government-funded drive to expand higher apprenticeships across England. Universities have a track record of expertise and innovation in professional and work-based learning that can significantly contribute to the higher-level skills agenda and could have a pivotal role in the rapidly growing initiative to develop higher apprenticeship programmes. The purpose of this paper is to outline the potential contribution universities could make to higher apprenticeship and the potential barriers to university engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an analysis of skills and higher education policy, initiatives and related research in England as the context for university involvement in higher apprenticeship. A case study is used to illustrate the benefits of and barriers to university involvement, including an uneven funding policy playing field for universities and misconceptions regarding professional competence and practice-based higher-level learning.
Findings
The paper illustrates the potential benefits university involvement in higher apprenticeship could deliver for employers and learners by supporting individual career progression and social mobility, and by providing employers and employees with clear and cost effective work-based pathways to management roles. It concludes that the current barriers to university involvement may result in a missed opportunity to maximise value from public investment in the workforce development expertise of universities, redeployed to realise higher apprenticeship innovation.
Originality/value
The authors believe this paper is the only academic analysis of the value of and barriers to university involvement in the current Westminster Government flagship Higher Apprenticeship programme. The case study included has not featured in any other academic journal.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Britain's Got Talent: Unlocking the demand for skills
a paper by John Springford and Ian Mulheirn for the Social Market Foundation
Introductory paragraphs to the Executive Summary
Britain’s workforce desperately needs new skills. The country faces a sustained period of high unemployment, with workers’ skills decaying at a rapid rate. Even in the boom years, many people struggled to find a job, and many were employed in poorly paid, low-skilled occupations. But government skills spending does not translate directly into a more highly skilled workforce. The money must be invested well. This means investing in training that leads to jobs and pay rises, by giving people skills that are in demand. At the core of its long-term growth strategy, the government needs a plan to boost the nation’s stock of human capital in a cost-effective way, especially as it has less money to invest than before.
Unemployment is high. In the first quarter of 2012, 8.5% of the working-age population were unemployed.1 The continuing debt crisis in the euro zone may damage the UK economy further in 2012 and 2013, with several indicators pointing to renewed recession in the UK’s largest trading partner. This may push up unemployment still further. As the economy stagnates, the proportion of people who are long-term unemployed increases. The proportion of unemployed people who haven’t found work for a year or more rose from 25% to 32% between 2009 and 2011. The proportion out of work for two years or more rose from 10% to 16%.2
The government faces further difficult macro-economic policy decisions to get Britain growing and thus to reduce the unemployment rate. But a complementary policy for growth must be efficient investment in adult skills to make the labour force more productive. This would help to create a supply of labour that more closely matched the demands of employers. It would help the long-term unemployed, many of whom have struggled to find sustained work since the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, by guarding the skills they have from atrophy and giving them new ones. And it would make labour markets more efficient in the long term, helping people cope with an increasingly dynamic economy with a fast pace of sectoral boom and decline.
_____________
1 Office for national statistics, Unemployment data, April 2012. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Unemployment+rates
2 ibid
Full text (PDF 102pp)
Introductory paragraphs to the Executive Summary
Britain’s workforce desperately needs new skills. The country faces a sustained period of high unemployment, with workers’ skills decaying at a rapid rate. Even in the boom years, many people struggled to find a job, and many were employed in poorly paid, low-skilled occupations. But government skills spending does not translate directly into a more highly skilled workforce. The money must be invested well. This means investing in training that leads to jobs and pay rises, by giving people skills that are in demand. At the core of its long-term growth strategy, the government needs a plan to boost the nation’s stock of human capital in a cost-effective way, especially as it has less money to invest than before.
Unemployment is high. In the first quarter of 2012, 8.5% of the working-age population were unemployed.1 The continuing debt crisis in the euro zone may damage the UK economy further in 2012 and 2013, with several indicators pointing to renewed recession in the UK’s largest trading partner. This may push up unemployment still further. As the economy stagnates, the proportion of people who are long-term unemployed increases. The proportion of unemployed people who haven’t found work for a year or more rose from 25% to 32% between 2009 and 2011. The proportion out of work for two years or more rose from 10% to 16%.2
The government faces further difficult macro-economic policy decisions to get Britain growing and thus to reduce the unemployment rate. But a complementary policy for growth must be efficient investment in adult skills to make the labour force more productive. This would help to create a supply of labour that more closely matched the demands of employers. It would help the long-term unemployed, many of whom have struggled to find sustained work since the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, by guarding the skills they have from atrophy and giving them new ones. And it would make labour markets more efficient in the long term, helping people cope with an increasingly dynamic economy with a fast pace of sectoral boom and decline.
_____________
1 Office for national statistics, Unemployment data, April 2012. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Unemployment+rates
2 ibid
Full text (PDF 102pp)
Thursday, 9 August 2012
A Path Back to Growth
an IPPR publication by Tony Dolphin, Senior Economist and Associate Director for Economic Policy
Executive Summary
The UK economy is back in recession and needs to find a path that will return it to a higher growth track in the medium term. To not do so will make it harder for the country to tackle the legacies of the financial crisis, including high youth unemployment and government borrowing. In the face of serious headwinds from the eurozone, current policies – even after taking into account new initiatives such as funding for lending and the plan to guarantee up to £40 billion of spending on infrastructure projects – are unlikely to deliver the desired outcome. More effort is required to boost demand in the short term and to ensure that the economy’s growth potential is supported in the medium term.
The debate about the role of government policy in the UK’s return to recession and about Plan A or Plan A+ or Plan B has become a sterile one, focused too narrowly on the Coalition’s fiscal plans. A path back to growth will require a change in fiscal policy, but on its own this will be insufficient. To be effective, policymakers need to make a number of complementary shifts in policy.
These shifts should be designed to reduce uncertainty about the economic outlook. This will encourage households to consume and business to invest and to hire more workers. Private sector companies will only be engines of growth in the UK if they can foresee a positive outlook and healthy returns on their investments. That is patently not the case at present.
Growth on its own is not enough. It needs to be accompanied by reform to address long-standing weaknesses in the UK economy: underinvestment, vulnerability to external shocks, poor export performance and persistent inequalities. The path back to growth should also be a path to a different kind of British capitalism.
The roadmap for growth should have six elements:
Full text (PDF 24pp)
Executive Summary
The UK economy is back in recession and needs to find a path that will return it to a higher growth track in the medium term. To not do so will make it harder for the country to tackle the legacies of the financial crisis, including high youth unemployment and government borrowing. In the face of serious headwinds from the eurozone, current policies – even after taking into account new initiatives such as funding for lending and the plan to guarantee up to £40 billion of spending on infrastructure projects – are unlikely to deliver the desired outcome. More effort is required to boost demand in the short term and to ensure that the economy’s growth potential is supported in the medium term.
The debate about the role of government policy in the UK’s return to recession and about Plan A or Plan A+ or Plan B has become a sterile one, focused too narrowly on the Coalition’s fiscal plans. A path back to growth will require a change in fiscal policy, but on its own this will be insufficient. To be effective, policymakers need to make a number of complementary shifts in policy.
These shifts should be designed to reduce uncertainty about the economic outlook. This will encourage households to consume and business to invest and to hire more workers. Private sector companies will only be engines of growth in the UK if they can foresee a positive outlook and healthy returns on their investments. That is patently not the case at present.
Growth on its own is not enough. It needs to be accompanied by reform to address long-standing weaknesses in the UK economy: underinvestment, vulnerability to external shocks, poor export performance and persistent inequalities. The path back to growth should also be a path to a different kind of British capitalism.
The roadmap for growth should have six elements:
- an increase in the scale of quantitative easing
- fiscal measures to boost growth in the short term combined with a reaffirmation of the plan to eliminate the deficit in the medium term
- additional infrastructure spending
- measures to make household debt restructuring easier
- measures to keep the long-term unemployed in touch with the labour market
- an active industrial policy.
Full text (PDF 24pp)
Monday, 6 August 2012
Ending child poverty: a right or a responsibility?
a feature article by Stephen Crossley (Institute for Local Governance, Universtity of Durham) and Tracy Shildrick (School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University) published in Poverty Number 142 (Summer 2012)
This year the European Union will publish its Recommendation on Child Poverty. This is expected to be based on three ‘pillars’ – access to adequate resources, access to services and opportunities, and children’s participation – and to argue for a strong rights-based approach to eradicating child poverty.
In 2011, the current coalition administration published the first government child poverty strategy in the UK. At its heart, lies a commitment to ‘strengthening families, encouraging responsibility, promoting work, guaranteeing fairness and providing support to the most vulnerable’. Stephen Crossley and Tracy Shildrick explore these two very different approaches.
Full text (PDF 4pp)
This year the European Union will publish its Recommendation on Child Poverty. This is expected to be based on three ‘pillars’ – access to adequate resources, access to services and opportunities, and children’s participation – and to argue for a strong rights-based approach to eradicating child poverty.
In 2011, the current coalition administration published the first government child poverty strategy in the UK. At its heart, lies a commitment to ‘strengthening families, encouraging responsibility, promoting work, guaranteeing fairness and providing support to the most vulnerable’. Stephen Crossley and Tracy Shildrick explore these two very different approaches.
Full text (PDF 4pp)
Thursday, 2 August 2012
State of the UK leisure industry: a driver for growth
a research report by Oliver Wyman (management consulting firm) for BISL (Business in Sport and Leisure) published June 2012
Executive summary
The UK’s leisure industry is a key contributor to the nation and its economy. It provides more than one in twelve of all jobs, and more than one in five jobs for 16-25 year olds; it accounts for around 7% of total tax receipts; and it includes some of the world’s leading leisure businesses. But until now, the leisure industry has not been clearly defined, and its true importance has rarely been acknowledged.
This report, commissioned by BISL and based on research by Oliver Wyman, paints the first comprehensive picture of the economic size, scale and importance of the leisure industry. BISL believes it demonstrates that the industry is too important to remain undefined, under-represented, and misunderstood by government.
The report shows that the UK leisure industry:
In Section 4, BISL sets out a number of recommendations by which government could better support the leisure industry and enable the leisure industry to make an even greater contribution to the economy in future:
BISL believes these proposals can help both the leisure industry and the economy of the UK as a whole. Specifically, BISL believes they will:
Full text (PDF 86pp)
Printed copy £250
Executive summary
The UK’s leisure industry is a key contributor to the nation and its economy. It provides more than one in twelve of all jobs, and more than one in five jobs for 16-25 year olds; it accounts for around 7% of total tax receipts; and it includes some of the world’s leading leisure businesses. But until now, the leisure industry has not been clearly defined, and its true importance has rarely been acknowledged.
This report, commissioned by BISL and based on research by Oliver Wyman, paints the first comprehensive picture of the economic size, scale and importance of the leisure industry. BISL believes it demonstrates that the industry is too important to remain undefined, under-represented, and misunderstood by government.
The report shows that the UK leisure industry:
- Employs 2.6m people, representing 9% of total UK employment. This is more than manufacturing, transport, construction or financial services
- Generates over £200 billion of revenue when accounting for direct contributions (£117 billion) and indirect contributions (£102 billion)
- Provides jobs for 730,000 16-25 year olds, representing 21% of 16-25 year olds in employment, more than manufacturing, construction and financial services combined
- Has a strong female workforce with 44% of management positions in the leisure industry held by women and the majority of the leisure workforce being female
- Attracts a large proportion of part-time and flexible workers – 46% of employees in the leisure industry are on part-time contracts
- Offers attractive career options for both skilled and unskilled workers, with few barriers to career progression and advancement
- Has been an incubator for entrepreneurship: 66% of leisure industry businesses are small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the business start-up rate is 20% higher than the UK average
- Is a world leader in leisure: UK businesses have been at the forefront of innovation and growth, and the UK accounts for a disproportionate share of leaders in the global leisure market
- Provides a wide range of leisure activities for millions of consumers across the country in a safe, secure, and responsible environment
- Generates almost twice as much tax revenue for the Treasury as its share of the economy might suggest – the industry contributes 7% of UK tax while representing 4% of the nation’s GVA
- a thriving leisure industry is also essential for capturing the full economic benefit from major sporting events hosted in the UK, starting with the 2012 Olympic and paralympic Games. Offering a broad range of attractive leisure activities encourages discretionary spending both by UK residents and by visitors
- Government policy since 2010 has exacerbated economic headwinds by imposing an additional £3.2bn of tax and regulatory costs per year on the industry and its customers – a figure estimated to rise to £3.9bn per year by 2014
- Whereas the leisure industry had been generating 41,000 new jobs every year between 1998 and 2007 – nearly double the rate of growth of retail, construction and transport – employment has been declining since the onset of the financial crisis. 11,000 jobs were lost between 2008 and 2010
- The leisure industry employs a high proportion of young, female, and part-time workers, and provides a livelihood for many small business owners – these groups have been hard hit in recent years
In Section 4, BISL sets out a number of recommendations by which government could better support the leisure industry and enable the leisure industry to make an even greater contribution to the economy in future:
- Incentivising businesses to employ more 16-to-25-year-olds from the ‘NEET’ (Not in Education, Employment or Training) category through a controlled exemption from NIC (National Insurance Contribution). In return, the leisure industry will provide transferable training or apprenticeships, and benefit from NIC exemption if they subsequently employ the individual
- Making a Cabinet minister responsible for championing the growth of the leisure industry. BISL proposes that, as the government is currently configured, this should be the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
- Bringing VAT rates closer to European benchmarks to increase the industry’s ability to compete in the tourism market, starting with the sub-sectors of the leisure industry able to generate the fastest payback
- Reducing the licensing and regulatory red tape that is currently hindering growth of the industry, in particular restaurants, pubs, night clubs, and betting and gaming businesses
- Building simpler, cheaper and more transparent local procurement processes to enable more sports and leisure facilities to be provided, and to attract greater investment
BISL believes these proposals can help both the leisure industry and the economy of the UK as a whole. Specifically, BISL believes they will:
- Reignite job growth in the Industry
- Provide up to 440,000 new jobs by 2020, particularly focused on young people, female, part-time and low skilled workers
- Drive an additional 30,000 new high quality training positions over the next three years for young people currently not in education, employment or training
- Save UK businesses and the government up to £600m per year through more efficient planning and procurement processes
Full text (PDF 86pp)
Printed copy £250
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Public sector information and open data: which way forward for the UK?
an article by Stephen Saxby and Chris Hill (affiliation(s) not provided) published in International Journal of Public Law and Policy Volume 2 Number 3 (2012)
Abstract
Since 2009, the move towards open data policies in the UK, also currently under review in proposals to replace PSI Directive 2003/98/EC on access and re-use of data, is having a profound impact on UK policy towards public sector information (PSI) that, as a resource, goes to the core of its function and purpose.
Driven by principles of openness and transparency, the process now supports the systematic release into the public domain of PSI in the form of datasets. The government believes that collective scrutiny of such data, while contributing to transparency, may also offer new insights into policy. Expectations have grown and new partnerships are emerging that blur traditional distinctions as to what is “public” and “private” in this regard.
Government has also been listening to the ideas of the founder of the World Wide Web that much more can be secured from today’s web via adoption of new techniques for linking data. The important contribution that location data, “information rich” in content, can make towards policy development has been recognised and acted upon.
Abstract
Since 2009, the move towards open data policies in the UK, also currently under review in proposals to replace PSI Directive 2003/98/EC on access and re-use of data, is having a profound impact on UK policy towards public sector information (PSI) that, as a resource, goes to the core of its function and purpose.
Driven by principles of openness and transparency, the process now supports the systematic release into the public domain of PSI in the form of datasets. The government believes that collective scrutiny of such data, while contributing to transparency, may also offer new insights into policy. Expectations have grown and new partnerships are emerging that blur traditional distinctions as to what is “public” and “private” in this regard.
Government has also been listening to the ideas of the founder of the World Wide Web that much more can be secured from today’s web via adoption of new techniques for linking data. The important contribution that location data, “information rich” in content, can make towards policy development has been recognised and acted upon.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
The political economy of competitiveness and social mobility
an article by Alex Nunn (Leeds Metropolitan University, UK) published in British Politics Volume 7 Issue 2 (June 2012)
Abstract
Social mobility has become a mainstream political and media issue in recent years in the United Kingdom. This article suggests that part of the reason for this is that it can serve as a mechanism to discuss policy concerns that appear to be about social justice without questioning important aspects of neo-liberal political economy.
The article charts the policy rhetoric on social mobility under both New Labour and the current Coalition Government.
It is argued first that under New Labour the apparent commitment to social mobility was in fact subsumed beneath the pursuit of neo-liberal competitiveness, albeit imperfectly realised in policy.
Second, the article suggests that under the Coalition Government the commitment to raising levels of social mobility has been retained and the recently published Strategy for Social Mobility [see update from Office of the DPM April 2012] promises that social mobility is what the Coalition means when it argues that the austerity programme is balanced with ‘fairness’.
Third, however, the Strategy makes clear that the Coalition defines social mobility in narrower terms than the previous government. It is argued here that in narrowing the definition the connection with the idea of competitiveness, while still clearly desirable for the Coalition, is weakened.
Fourth, a brief analysis of the Coalition’s main policy announcements provides little evidence to suggest that even the narrow definition set out in the Strategy is being seriously pursued.
Fifth, the international comparative evidence suggests that any strategy aimed at genuinely raising the level of social mobility would need to give much more serious consideration to narrowing levels of inequality.
Finally, it is concluded that when considered in the light of the arguments above, the Strategy for Social Mobility – and therefore ‘Fairness’ itself – is merely a discursive legitimation of the wider political economy programme of austerity.
Abstract
Social mobility has become a mainstream political and media issue in recent years in the United Kingdom. This article suggests that part of the reason for this is that it can serve as a mechanism to discuss policy concerns that appear to be about social justice without questioning important aspects of neo-liberal political economy.
The article charts the policy rhetoric on social mobility under both New Labour and the current Coalition Government.
It is argued first that under New Labour the apparent commitment to social mobility was in fact subsumed beneath the pursuit of neo-liberal competitiveness, albeit imperfectly realised in policy.
Second, the article suggests that under the Coalition Government the commitment to raising levels of social mobility has been retained and the recently published Strategy for Social Mobility [see update from Office of the DPM April 2012] promises that social mobility is what the Coalition means when it argues that the austerity programme is balanced with ‘fairness’.
Third, however, the Strategy makes clear that the Coalition defines social mobility in narrower terms than the previous government. It is argued here that in narrowing the definition the connection with the idea of competitiveness, while still clearly desirable for the Coalition, is weakened.
Fourth, a brief analysis of the Coalition’s main policy announcements provides little evidence to suggest that even the narrow definition set out in the Strategy is being seriously pursued.
Fifth, the international comparative evidence suggests that any strategy aimed at genuinely raising the level of social mobility would need to give much more serious consideration to narrowing levels of inequality.
Finally, it is concluded that when considered in the light of the arguments above, the Strategy for Social Mobility – and therefore ‘Fairness’ itself – is merely a discursive legitimation of the wider political economy programme of austerity.
Friday, 23 March 2012
The impact of polices on government social media usage: Issues, challenges, and recommendations
an article by John Carlo Bertot , Paul T. Jaeger and Derek Hansen (College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, USA) published in Government Information Quarterly Volume 29 Issue 1 (January 2012)
Abstract
Government agencies are increasingly using social media to connect with those they serve. These connections have the potential to extend government services, solicit new ideas, and improve decision-making and problem-solving.
However, interacting via social media introduces new challenges related to privacy, security, data management, accessibility, social inclusion, governance, and other information policy issues. The rapid adoption of social media by the population and government agencies has outpaced the regulatory framework related to information, although the guiding principles behind many regulations are still relevant.
This paper examines the existing regulatory framework and the ways in which it applies to social media use by the U.S. federal government, highlighting opportunities and challenges agencies face in implementing them, as well as possible approaches for addressing these challenges.
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