Decent work: Harnessing the power of local government

Article

The North is enduring a severe job quality crisis. Record high employment figures conceal major deficiencies in the quality of work people are doing. And while every region of the country has seen an unprecedented squeeze on wages, real weekly pay has fallen by £21 since 2008 in the North – higher than the national average. Poor job quality and low pay has a profound effect on people in terms of in-work poverty, personal wellbeing and income inequality.

But many local authorities in the North are innovating to improve job quality in their area. Local authorities are major employers, they commission services from local businesses and charities, and they have considerable ‘soft power’ to influence a broader range of local organisations. Many local authorities in the North have used this power to implement ‘decent work’ policies that improve employment conditions.

This is often a difficult task, as there are legal and financial challenges that must be overcome. But some northern local authorities have found innovative ways through these obstacles – as have others across the country. This report aims to help other local authorities in the North and across the country by showing how this innovation can boost employment conditions in their areas.

Related items

  1. The outside of the BBC building in London with people walking in front of it

    Levelling the playing field: The BBC, Big Tech, and the case for a bold charter

    The upcoming charter renewal is the moment to give the BBC the resources, freedom and mission it needs to engage with technology firms on its own terms.
  2. A lighthouse shines a light into a dark seascape at the edge of a cliff on the coast of Wales

    Britain's strategy for a decade of danger: Our nation, our continent, our world

    Britain's foreign policy needs a grand strategy that clearly defines the country’s strategy for security, growth and migration.

  3. Will planning reform make housing more affordable?

    It is undeniable that housing in England is in crisis.