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5 million want more work or
better jobs in UK's biggest Cities
OVER 5 million people want to work,
want more hours or are trapped in low paid and insecure work across the UK's 12
biggest Cities, according to a new report.
The report for the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) comes as new
metro mayors, elected in May, complete their 100th day in office and the monthly
employment figures are published.
Although the employment rate is the highest on record, the analysis of official
statistics shows the scale of the challenge facing City leaders and national
Government to ensure everyone has the opportunity to get a good job.
In total, the analysis shows there are 5.3 million people missing out because of
a 'more and better jobs gap' across the UK's 12 major City Region areas.
The gap is the number of people who are unemployed, underemployed or inactive
because of barriers such as caring or disability, but who would want to work if
jobs were available (the more jobs gap); and workers earning less than the
living wage and those on insecure contracts who would prefer permanent contracts
(the better jobs gap).
The report found:-
► In Manchester and Birmingham, where metro mayors were elected in May, more than
½ a million people are seeking more and better paid work.
► In Birmingham, 356,000 people are either not working, but want to work, or are
working but want more hours.
► In Manchester, 1 in 5 people who are in the workforce; 291,000; are in low pay
or insecure work.
► In Liverpool and Sheffield, ⅖ of the workforce are not, working but
would like to, want more hours, or are trapped in low pay or insecure work. This
amounts to 303,000 people in Liverpool and 391,000 people in Sheffield.
|
City Region |
Better |
More |
More + better |
Better jobs |
More jobs |
More + better |
| Newcastle |
21% |
24% |
41% |
154000 |
182000 |
304000 |
| Cardiff |
18% |
27% |
40% |
140000 |
204000 |
308000 |
| Manchester |
20% |
25% |
40% |
292000 |
357000 |
582000 |
|
Liverpool |
18% |
25% |
40% |
140000 |
192000 |
303000 |
| Sheffield |
19% |
25% |
40% |
185000 |
248000 |
389000 |
| Nottingham |
20% |
23% |
39% |
102000 |
120000 |
203000 |
| Birmingham |
17% |
26% |
39% |
235000 |
356000 |
540000 |
| Leeds |
19% |
24% |
39% |
227000 |
288000 |
464000 |
| Glasgow |
15% |
22% |
34% |
70000 |
102000 |
157000 |
| London |
14% |
23% |
34% |
677000 |
1127000 |
1642000 |
| Edinburgh |
18% |
20% |
34% |
128000 |
148000 |
244000 |
| Bristol |
15% |
21% |
32% |
92000 |
126000 |
198000 |
| |
Total:- |
2442000 |
3450000 |
5334000 |
JRF is calling on City leaders to work with
the Government on devising local industrial strategies that prioritise creating
more and better jobs. The Government's forthcoming report to Parliament on its
progress to full employment should consider the disparities in employment rates
between places and the quality of jobs on offer.
Dave Innes, economist at JRF, said:- "Britain has enjoyed a jobs miracle
and the national picture on jobs is good; more people are in work than ever
before. But these figures show millions of people across our big Cities are
missing out on this success and there is still a long way to go. The
priority for City leaders and the Government is to use the industrial strategy
to create the conditions for more and better jobs, and ensure people who have
been left behind can find work."
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