This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society examines the built economy skills crisis. The construction and built environment sector – which brings together the design, construction, management and maintenance of homes, buildings and infrastructure – is crucial to the UK economy. It provides millions of jobs, and plays a critical role as an...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines why the UK NEET rate is high and rising. This report investigates why the UK’s NEET rate has been rising since 2019, and why it has long been higher than in many other countries. After falling for much of the 2010s, the proportion of 18-24-year-olds...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI finds that high-level skills mismatches differ significantly by area and that policy responses should reflect local differences in demand. This study maps employer demand for higher-level qualifications (at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 4 and above), the supply of residents with these qualifications, and the resulting demand-supply gaps...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores how civil servants can help deliver a smarter state with AI. As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly prominent role in our lives, the government is rightly using its potential to rewire the state. The long-term efficacy and sustainability of our public services will rely on...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research assesses the costs and benefits of introducing a new entitlement for self-employed and worker fathers. Although designed to promote gender equality, parental leave policies in the UK have yet to close the gap in uptake, with women taking significantly more leave than men. Authors...

This report from UK think tank PBE evaluates the impact of nature-based therapy on veterans. Veterans have some of the lowest levels of wellbeing, with around 160,000 self-reporting deep dissatisfaction with their lives. They may struggle with chronic health conditions, common mental health disorders and the anxiety which can come with unemployment and the feeling that their lives lack purpose....

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation paints a portrait of the poorer half of the country's population. The 13 million working-age families across the poorer half of the country are widely courted by politicians. No party can win elections without their votes, and the country cannot succeed without their needs being met....

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute examines the effects of the new union access regime on SMEs. This report examines the economic impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The core of the report argues that the Act’s new provisions—which allow trade unions to demand...

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines the costs and benefits of flexible working. The costs of flexible working requirements have rarely been properly assessed and could extend to undermining growth, increasing unemployment and the rise in post-Covid withdrawal from the workforce. Employers and employees, negotiating in the ‘particular circumstances...

This report from UK think tank the Jobs Foundation looks at both the effect of government policy on the energy sector and on jobs and communities. The Jobs Foundation’s first report on the connection between energy and job creation/retention, Jobs and Energy: The effect of high energy costs on the UK jobs market was published...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities focuses on the cities that offer lessons for a government looking to raise living standards everywhere. Cities Outlook, our annual health check of the economic performance of urban Britain, offers a deep dive into the latest economic data on how UK cities are performing against a range...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI explores labour demand in East Birmingham & North Solihull (EBNS) by sector and major occupation group. This briefing uses online job postings data to explore labour demand in East Birmingham and North Solihull (EBNS) by sector and major occupation group. It also looks at how patterns of job...

This report from UK think tank the Jobs Foundation illustrates how policy uncertainty and rising costs are shaping real-world decisions on hiring, investment and growth. Family businesses are a cornerstone of the UK economy, employing millions of people and sustaining communities across the country. This new report, commissioned by the Jobs Foundation and conducted by...

This report from UK think tank the Growth and Reform Network looks at connecting disadvantaged neighbourhoods to new economic opportunities. Achieving higher levels of economic growth is one of the main objectives of the current government. However, for many neighbourhoods in England, high growth is a distant memory. The areas that most need economic growth...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation discusses the labour market outlook in the final quarter of 2025. Employment has fallen over the past two years and is substantially lower than it was before the pandemic. Perhaps surprisingly given its central place in policy debates, participation is essentially unchanged compared to pre-pandemic: rising...

Government must do more to tackle insecure work in the UK By Rebecca Florisson (The Work Foundation) The recent Queen’s speech indicated that the much-anticipated Employment Bill has again been delayed. This Bill could have played an important role in addressing severely insecure work. Proposals to improve job quality and security as set out in...

The coronavirus crisis means we are facing huge changes and disruption in the labour market but what are these likely to be and who will be most affected by them? Covid-19 has accelerated change for workers already facing disruption By Josh Abey (Fabian Society) Covid-19 has pulled the rug from underneath millions of workers and...