Employment

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on employment. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
28.02.2013Defence employment: Social Indicators page
A summary of statistics on defence employment.
22.02.2013Employment: Economic Indicators page
There were 29.73 million people aged 16 and over in employment in the UK in October-December 2012, an all-time high. The number of people in employment was up 154,000 on the previous quarter and up 584,000 on the previous year. The employment rate for people aged 16-64 was 71.5%, compared to a pre-recession level of 73.0% in March-May 2008.
20.02.2013Retirement Age
As of 1 October 2011, the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011 abolished the DRA.
13.02.2013Police numbers: Social Indicators page
Police numbers: Social Indicators page
12.02.2013Zero hours contracts
This note discusses zero hours contracts; a type of contract used by employers whereby workers agree to be available for work although have no guaranteed hours.

Research Papers

DateDescription
20.02.2013Unemployment by Constituency, February 2013
This paper contains labour market figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest national and regional statistics.
15.02.2013Children and Families Bill
The Children and Families Bill introduces a wide range of legislation concerning adoption and children in care, aspects of family justice law, special educational needs, the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, child care, statutory rights to leave and pay for parents and adopters, time off work for ante-natal care, and the right to request flexible working. This paper has been prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill.
23.01.2013Unemployment by Constituency, January 2013
This paper contains labour market figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest national and regional statistics.
13.12.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. It complements Research Paper 12/61 prepared for Commons Second Reading
12.12.2012Unemployment by Constituency, December 2012
This paper contains labour market figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest national and regional statistics.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
25.01.2011The future of the Newport passport office.
Welsh Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
09.03.2010Green Jobs and Skills.
Government response. Environmental Audit Select Committee; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills report [Commons]
03.03.2010Management and Administration of Contracted Employment Programmes.
Work and Pensions Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
08.02.2012LOWER PAID AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES
That this House acknowledges the Coalition Government's commitment to raising the threshold at which people begin paying income tax to 10,000 per annum; expresses the strong belief ...
25.01.2012WOOLWORTHS TRIBUNAL DECISION
That this House congratulates the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, Usdaw, in supporting union members who are former employees of Woolworths by pursuing a protective ...
24.01.2012RETENTION OF SKILLS AND CONDITIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
That this House recognises the need to retain skilled workers in the construction industry; notes with concern that several major employers in the construction industry are considering ...
11.01.2012WOMEN AND JOB SHARING
That this House welcomes the Capability Jane/Working Families report published in December 2011 entitled Job Sharing at a Senior Level: Making it Work; notes that the expectation of ...
10.01.2012HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS CONTACT CENTRE TRIAL OF PRIVATE CONTRACTORS
That this House congratulates staff working in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contact centres on increasing the positive answering rate to 71 per cent. of calls to date in 2011-12; notes ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
24.12.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill (HL Bill 72 of 2012-13)
The purpose of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill is to promote investment in infrastructure projects, reduce delays in the planning system and introduce a new employment status of employee shareholder. This Library Note provides background information for the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 8 January 2013.
09.11.2012Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill (HL Bill 45 of 2012-13)
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill includes measures for changes to competition policy, to employment law, and for reducing regulation, as well as provisions on the Green Investment Bank, directors' remuneration, copyright and planning. This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords.
21.12.2007Employment Bill [HL] (HL Bill 13, 2007-08). LLN 2007/010
Employment Bill. House of Lords Library Note 2007/010

POST Papers

DateDescription
25.10.2012Mental Health and the Workplace
This note summarises how the workplace affects mental health and vice versa.
03.10.2011An Ageing Workforce
This POSTnote examines the main challenges to the participation and productivity of older people in the workforce.
01.06.1995UK Teleworking, June 1995
Information and communications technologies are making the site of work less important, radically changing many working practices.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - an occasional series of papers compiled by the House of Lords Library