unemployment

'Social evils' and 'social problems' in Britain, 1904–2008

In a contribution to the JRF's 'social evils' series, Jose Harris examines social problems and changing perceptions of them since 1904. Social evils, such as hunger and destitution, were seen by the Victorians as unavoidable. Joseph Rowntree's more positive philosophy promoted social research and intervention to transform 'social evils' into less malign 'social problems' that could be cured. However, some of these problems have subsequently reappeared.

Welfare that works : beyond the New Deal

Paper offering a critique of the New Deal scheme for the unemployed in the UK. It argues that the policy can be made more effective if the structure of the welfare-to-work system is changed to more closely reflect economic realities. It recommends aligning the institutions of the welfare-to-work system with the needs of employers and the disadvantaged which should have the effect of providing better jobs for the low-skilled and better workers for the private sector.

Britain's poorest children revisited : evidence from the British Household Panel Survey 1994-2002

Britain’s Poorest Children Revisited focuses on the experience of severe and persistent child poverty in the UK during the period 1994- 2002. The report begins by examining trends in childhood experience of severe and non-severe poverty between 1994 and 2002, with particular reference to changes after 1997, when new policies were introduced to address the problem of child poverty in the UK.

Migration and rural economies: assessing and addressing risks

This paper examines the implications of increasing migration to rural areas, looking in particular at the economics of this phenomenon. A mixed methodology was used including a literature review, analysis of national population and economic datasets, surveys and focus groups with migrants in rural areas and interviews with key informants. The roles migrants play in rural areas are explored, as are the economic impacts of migration on existing populations and businesses, and what future migratory trends might be.