Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will make an assessment of the main causes of insecurity in the workplace.

The latest Workplace Employment Relations Study shows that employees’ views on job security are related to their individual circumstances and to underlying economic conditions. Job satisfaction increased from 2004 to 2011, but unsurprisingly insecurity rose during the recession. However, 1.4 million more people in employment since 2010 will have reduced this. The latest statistics show that 30.8 million people aged 16 and above are in employment, the highest number since records began.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is also funding research into what works in driving workplace wellbeing further. On 29 October we published original research which tells us more about how improved staff well-being can have a positive effect on business performance. This analysis can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/worker-wellbeing-and-workplace-performance.