Fewer households have no workers
I would love to have time to get under this story and look at how prevalent the “informal economy” is in those places where the highest number of households with no workers are. I have often put forward the theory that the informal economy is a key means of getting by for many less well off rural dwellers who face higher living costs than their urban counterparts. Great thinkers like Colin Williams at Sheffield University have done a lot of really interesting research into this issue in its broader manifestations. This article renews my feeling that there is a place in current tough economic times for seeing informal working as having innovative and sustainable features which could in some cases be legitimised rather than driven further underground. Anyway- back to the article itself which tells us:
Responding to the figures, Minister for Employment Chris Grayling said: “These are encouraging figures: our welfare reforms are helping more people to enter the workplace and more children are living in a household that works.
“However, we can’t be complacent. The economy remains a substantial challenge, which is why we need the right employment support to ensure that those living in workless households and their children are given the opportunities and help to succeed.”
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “While any fall in workless households is welcome, there are still far too many neighbourhoods in Britain were decent jobs are in short supply.
“Although the number of economically inactive households is falling, the number of unemployed workless households is actually rising. This suggests that people’s employment prospects are no better than before.
“These figures point to a two-speed labour market where recent employment gains are not being spread evenly across the economy or country.”