Idleness: (Giants: A New Beveridge Report)

UK workers are stuck in a low-pay, low-productivity rut, with far too many people working in poor quality, insecure jobs, with little training or chance of getting on. Katy Jones and Ashwin Kumar question the mantra that “work is the best way out of poverty” and examine the in-work poverty that now defines employment for many. The state’s engagement with people out of work is shown to ignore the needs of lone parents and disabled people, and has little concern for skills and career progression. When coupled with the degradation of social infrastructure, such as child care and transport, the barriers to quality work can become insurmountable. Jones and Kumar’s insightful analysis reveals the need to move away from positioning unemployment as a “behavioural problem” to be corrected by coercive labour market policies to one that considers the wider obstacles to better paid, quality jobs.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. A changing labour market: from Beveridge to Brexit 2. Productivity 3. Good work 4. Supporting people into work: a brief history 5. Employment policies today 6. Employment gaps 7. Supporting low-paid workers 8. Skills and progression 9. Social infrastructure 10. State regulation Conclusion: what needs to change?

About the Author :
Katy Jones is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has previously held research positions at The Work Foundation (part of Lancaster University) and the University of Salford. She has published widely on topics including youth unemployment, homelessness, welfare conditionality and skills. Ashwin Kumar is Professor of Social Policy at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has previously worked as Chief Economist at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Senior Economic Advisor at the Department for Work and Pensions and as an economic advisor to Gordon Brown.

Review :
Idleness nails the myth that any job – no matter how insecure or poorly paid – is better than no job. It sets out a compelling case that empowering workers and improving the quality of work can help drive productivity and sustainable growth. The question of how to help women escape poverty pay has long been with us, but finding the answer has never been more important. This book is a crucial intervention on a subject that deserves to be right at the top of our agenda. An engaging and insightful read that artfully reflects on the Giant of ‘Idleness’ in a contemporary context. Jones and Kumar challenge the prevailing economic orthodoxy on work and employment, arguing that economic policy needs to be more relevant. If we are to address the UK’s ailing economic performance and productivity they highlight the need to empower employees and improve management practice, and only then will we realize the benefits. An authoritative account of how the UK labour market really works, Idleness is full of important insights, and more than a few home truths about the failures of public policy. Jones and Kumar challenge the orthodoxy that low pay and job insecurity results from poor productivity growth, and instead make the case for empowering workers as part of a new economic model for the UK. An excellent read. It cuts through the outdated rhetoric on ‘idleness’ and makes a compelling case for a system that works for everyone.