Job figures show return of business confidence but underemployment continues to rise

Posted By Ian Brinkley

16 May 2012

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Commenting on today’s labour market statistics, Ian Brinkley, Director at The Work Foundation, said:

“These are surprising but very welcome figures. Claims that further deregulation of the labour market is needed to stimulate job generation look to be unjustified. Private sector employers clearly felt confident enough to hire in large numbers over the three months to March 2012.

“However, the overall numbers disguise some underlying weaknesses. The economy is still shedding full-time jobs, with all the increase accounted for by part-time work. The latest figures confirm that underemployment is emerging as a significant problem in the UK labour market, with the number of people in part-time work because they could not find a full-time job up by 33% over the past two years.”

Ends

Notes to editors


1. Ian Brinkley, Andrew Sissons and Charles Levy are available for interviews, briefings and written comment.

2. The Work Foundation aims to be the leading independent, international authority on work and its future, influencing policy and practice for the benefit of society. The Work Foundation is part of Lancaster University – an alliance that enables both organisations to further enhance their impact.


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