Crunch time for jobs

The UK’s unemployment rate has remained lower than at the same stage in the recessions we went through in the 80s and 90s. Understanding Society collected information throughout 2009, the peak of the recession, and will continue to collect information to enable researchers to look at how peoples’ lives are being affected by the economic crisis.

Dr Mark Taylor at the University of Essex has taken a first look at the Understanding Society information about the current jobs market. He found that around 70% of both men and women of working age are in work. More men than women are in full-time rather than part-time work and in self-employment.

By looking at information about a person’s current or previous type of job, it is possible to see which sectors of the economy have been most affected by the recession in terms of employment and Dr Taylor’s early analysis shows that the construction, wholesale/retail and hospitality sectors have been hardest hit.

The research reinforces concerns expressed in recent months about a particular group of young people who don’t have a job nor are they in any form education or training. Dr Taylor found that almost 40% of people aged under 25 who were not in education were in this group. This early research suggests that a large proportion of young people may struggle to find long-lasting stable employment in the future especially if the economic situation does not improve soon.