[UK] Record high number of workers on zero-hours contracts

In the UK, the number of workers on zero-hours contracts has hit a record high in the year before Labour's planned crackdown, BBC News reports.

An uptick in 16-to-24-year-olds and workers out of full-time education saw the number of people on these contracts climb to 1.23 million in December.

According to analysis by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University - based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data - this represented a 91,000 increase on a year earlier.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) reportedly said it "will ensure people can have the security they need by giving eligible workers the right to guaranteed hours".

Zero-hours contracts allow employers to hire staff with no guarantee of work, with workers only offered the hours for which they are needed, often at short notice.

Some say that such contracts help support young people into their first jobs and offer flexibility around education or childcare. However, critics argue that zero-hours contracts leave workers facing unpredictable schedules, no guaranteed income and unable to plan financially.

In its 2024 election manifesto, Labour promised a ban on these "exploitative" contracts as one of its first policies. The ban was part of the government's Employment Rights Act. It is expected to come into force next year as a right to guaranteed hours for workers.

Under the Act, workers will be entitled to what the government considers "reasonable notice" of their schedules and compensation for shifts cancelled with short notice. Measures on zero-hours contracts are currently subject to consultation and secondary legislation in the Commons.

The Work Foundation stated that its analysis highlighted an "urgent need" for the government and MPs to finalise the measures. Director Ben Harrison reportedly said employers were still reliant on the "highly precarious" zero-hours contracts, despite Labour's plans.

"Such arrangements underpin the kind of 'one-sided flexibility' that leaves over a million workers unsure how many hours they will work or how much money they will earn next week," Mr Harrison said.

The foundation’s figures revealed that 181,000 more people are on zero-hours contracts than when Labour came to power in 2024. Young workers are five times more likely to be on zero-hours contracts, while women make up more than half (54 per cent) of workers on the contracts.

It stated that the proportion of zero-hours contractors relying on them for full-time work stood at a record 32.8 per cent, with many looking for additional hours or second jobs.

Paul Nowak - general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) - said zero-hours contracts were "trapping workers in insecure jobs with little control over their hours and pay".

He said, "This will make a real difference to working people's living standards."

A DBT spokesperson said, "Tackling insecure work is vital if we are to boost incomes, raise living standards and increase productivity.

"We will work closely with workers and employers alike on how the measures are implemented."

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, the number of workers on zero-hours contracts has hit a record high in the year before Labour's planned crackdown, BBC News reports.

An uptick in 16-to-24-year-olds and workers out of full-time education saw the number of people on these contracts climb to 1.23 million in December.

According to analysis by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University - based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data - this represented a 91,000 increase on a year earlier.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) reportedly said it "will ensure people can have the security they need by giving eligible workers the right to guaranteed hours".

Zero-hours contracts allow employers to hire staff with no guarantee of work, with workers only offered the hours for which they are needed, often at short notice.

Some say that such contracts help support young people into their first jobs and offer flexibility around education or childcare. However, critics argue that zero-hours contracts leave workers facing unpredictable schedules, no guaranteed income and unable to plan financially.

In its 2024 election manifesto, Labour promised a ban on these "exploitative" contracts as one of its first policies. The ban was part of the government's Employment Rights Act. It is expected to come into force next year as a right to guaranteed hours for workers.

Under the Act, workers will be entitled to what the government considers "reasonable notice" of their schedules and compensation for shifts cancelled with short notice. Measures on zero-hours contracts are currently subject to consultation and secondary legislation in the Commons.

The Work Foundation stated that its analysis highlighted an "urgent need" for the government and MPs to finalise the measures. Director Ben Harrison reportedly said employers were still reliant on the "highly precarious" zero-hours contracts, despite Labour's plans.

"Such arrangements underpin the kind of 'one-sided flexibility' that leaves over a million workers unsure how many hours they will work or how much money they will earn next week," Mr Harrison said.

The foundation’s figures revealed that 181,000 more people are on zero-hours contracts than when Labour came to power in 2024. Young workers are five times more likely to be on zero-hours contracts, while women make up more than half (54 per cent) of workers on the contracts.

It stated that the proportion of zero-hours contractors relying on them for full-time work stood at a record 32.8 per cent, with many looking for additional hours or second jobs.

Paul Nowak - general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) - said zero-hours contracts were "trapping workers in insecure jobs with little control over their hours and pay".

He said, "This will make a real difference to working people's living standards."

A DBT spokesperson said, "Tackling insecure work is vital if we are to boost incomes, raise living standards and increase productivity.

"We will work closely with workers and employers alike on how the measures are implemented."

Source: BBC News

(Quotes via original reporting)