Written question asked by George Howarth (Labour) on Thursday, 18 March 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 March 2021. It was answered by Paul Scully (Conservative) on Friday, 26 March 2021 on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Conditions of Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of insecure employment models such as zero-hours contracts, rolling contracts and other casual or insecure employment models.

Answer: The UK economy’s continued success is built on the flexibility of our labour market. Flexible working provides opportunities for those who may not be able to work in more conventional ways and has played a crucial part in our high rates of employment pre-Covid-19. For example, in 2019, the UK employment rate was 76%, the highest since comparable records began in 1971. The Government also recognises the valuable contribution made by those in the gig economy during the Covid-19 pandemic and anticipate that these jobs will be crucial to our economic recovery.

Secondary information