Understanding Worklessness in Newham: Final Report

The London Borough of Newham commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to undertake an analysis of worklessness within the borough with a particular focus on understanding those who had been out of the labour market for long periods of time, and those who had never worked.

The research involved several strands:

• A literature review to identify and assess the evidence for the drivers of worklessness; to examine the importance of various barriers to employment for workless groups in the borough; and to identify good practice examples for supporting workless people into employment.
• Analysis of secondary datasets to provide an overview of the scale and characteristics of worklessness locally. Sources used included the Annual Population Survey, Annual Business Inquiry, DWP Benefits Data, and the Census of Population.
• Qualitative semi-structured interviews with a range of informants, including partners and stakeholders who provided services to workless groups, local employers, and workless individuals within the borough.