conditions of employment

Cycles of poverty, unemployment and low pay

Household incomes are dynamic and families can move in and out of poverty over time, with some of them becoming trapped in a cycle. What causes this kind of ‘recurrent’ poverty and how does it relate to unemployment and low pay? How could these cycles be broken? This report summarises the findings of four projects about recurrent poverty and the low-pay/no-pay cycle and examines relevant current UK policy and practice and suggests ways to create longer-lasting routes out of poverty.

Mental health and employment

This report presents findings of a qualitative research project commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to investigate the relationship between mental health and employment. The research was conducted during 2007 by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York and the Institute for Employment Studies.

High hopes: Supporting ex-prisoners in their lives after prison

This report presents the findings from an exploratory qualitative study that centres on a key Department for Work and Pensions client group that until now has not been extensively researched in terms of its interaction with benefit and employment services and the labour market. It focuses on a cohort of 40 (male) ex-prisoners who were tracked over a six-month period following their release from prison.

Work and well-being over time: lone mothers and their children

This report provides findings from the third wave of a qualitative longitudinal study, which began in 2003, following a sample of lone mothers who elected to move into employment supported by tax credits following a period of unemployment in receipt of Income Support (or in a few cases Jobseeker's Allowance). The main aim of the research was to explore how lone mothers and their children manage and adapt to employment over time.

The effects of benefit sanctions on lone parents' employment decisions and moves into employment

This research report presents findings from a qualitative study specifically designed to explore the effects of benefit sanctions on lone parents' employment decisions and moves into employment. Forty lone parents who had been referred for a sanction following non-attendance at a Work Focused Interview (WFI) were interviewed in depth. Focus groups were also carried out with Jobcentre Plus staff.

Growing up in Scotland: use of childcare by parents of young children

Research findings which examine the use of childcare for both the baby and toddler cohorts of the Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) longitudinal research project, and how cost, type, mix of formal and informal provision, duration and childcare preferences vary according to parents’ socio-economic circumstances.

Differences in attitudes towards employment and childcare are also explored.

Programmes to promote employment for disabled people: lessons from the United States

Report that reviews evaluation findings from the US experience in providing return-to-work supports for people with disabilities and discusses the implications for similar efforts in the UK.

It provides lessons for developing and evaluating future UK employment initiatives, especially for people with severe psychiatric conditions and long-term disability claimants.