The Growth of Precarious Employment in Great Britain
For some time now foreign observers have been showering praise on the British labour market and above all its ability to create jobs. There is no denying that officials statistics show that unemployment has dropped considerably in Great Britain but this particular aspect of the country’s economic he...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique
2003-04-01
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| Series: | Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/3112 |
| Summary: | For some time now foreign observers have been showering praise on the British labour market and above all its ability to create jobs. There is no denying that officials statistics show that unemployment has dropped considerably in Great Britain but this particular aspect of the country’s economic health conceals other evils including growth in the precariousness of employment for large sections of the working population. To some extent, this can be put down to the current drive to foster employability and flexibility but there is no doubt that it has inevitably led to mass poverty and a significant growth in underemployment. Precarious employment comes in all shapes and sizes but whether part-time work or fixed-term contracts, the labour market has had to adapt. Other countries have made substantial efforts to enhance the value of ‘atypical’ employment whereas in Great Britain, it has been relegated to the fringes of the market thus depriving employees of the rights that core workers can enjoy. By itself, the national minimum wage can only protect low paid workers from the worst forms of exploitation. Wage protection could be complemented by specific measures designed to deal with precarious employment and prevent it from being marginalized even further. |
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| ISSN: | 0248-9015 2429-4373 |