Universal Credit and Employers: exploring the demand side of UK active labour market policy

研究背景：积极的劳动力市场政策（almp）是传统上专注于使失业人员进入工作岗位的政府干预措施。由于雇主最终控制着参与者寻求获得的就业机会，因此雇主是ALMP结果的基础（Bredgaard; 2017； Sissons和Green， 2017）。然而，与ALMP相关的研究和政策往往忽视了雇主。本研究以英国ALMP为重点，通过通用信贷制定，通过关注雇主对ALMP的看法以及失业人员和低收入工人支持ALMP的条件，将有助于推进这一主题的知识。该研究将探讨英国雇主如何理解和体验ALMP，它如何影响企业的运营，以及就业服务如何与雇主更有效地合作，从而为个人和更广泛的经济带来更好的结果（McCollum, 2012）。英国ALMP的主要载体和最近福利改革的旗舰政策是通用信贷（UC）。UC是为那些失业或低收入的人提供的新的工作年龄福利（DWP, 2010）。根据UC，失业人员的社会保障是有条件的，申请人证明找工作和其他与工作有关的活动。这是以“工作第一”的方式为基础的，强调大量的申请和快速的工作重新进入。它还可能涉及将条件限制扩展到工作人员，模糊了在有偿劳动力市场内外的社会保障索赔人之间的传统区别（Dwyer和Wright， 2014）。目的和目标本项目有四个主要目的。通过对雇主、政策制定者和其他关键利益相关者的定性半结构化访谈，本研究项目将：探索雇主如何理解和体验英国ALMP确定ALMP如何影响英国企业，包括他们如何招聘、保留和提升员工（并探索行业之间的差异）探讨ALMP对不同低薪行业雇主的影响。探索公共就业服务如何有效地与雇主合作，为申请人带来更好的就业结果。为实现这些目标，该计划以四个相关目标为基础：1。通过与雇主、政策制定者和其他主要利益相关者的协商，就ALMP如何影响雇主和企业行为产生新的定性数据2。扩大对ALMP及其影响的学术理解，超越对失业索赔人的传统供给方面的关注。找出公共就业服务机构（即就业中心Plus和其他合约提供者）与雇主合作的方式，帮助万能信贷申领人进入工作岗位并取得进展。为失业和在职通用信贷申请人提供与ALMP相关的政策制定和辩论的信息。潜在的应用和好处本研究旨在为多个利益相关者带来明确的好处：工作和养老金部（DWP）的政策制定者将通过对雇主与ALMP互动的洞察而受益；雇主将从中受益，因为这将使他们的声音能够在影响他们及其员工的政策上被听到；雇主代表机构将通过提高对统一通信对其所代表的业务的影响的认识而受益；就业和技能机构、工会和其他支持UC索赔人的组织将从更多地了解UC如何与就业实践相互作用中受益，这有助于形成他们的建议和支持；通过更明智的公开辩论和制定更能反映工作现实的政策，从而提高对索赔人的支持的有效性，万能信贷索赔人将从中受益；学者们将从新的见解和新数据集的创建中受益。

Research context: Active labour market policies (ALMPs) are government interventions traditionally focused on moving unemployed people into work. As those ultimately in control of the employment opportunities participants are seeking to access, employers are fundamental to ALMP outcomes (Bredgaard; 2017; Sissons and Green, 2017). However, research and policy relating to ALMP has tended to ignore employers. Focusing on UK ALMP, as enacted through Universal Credit, this research will help to advance knowledge of this topic by focusing on employer perspectives of ALMP and the conditionality that underpins it for unemployed people and workers on a low income. The research will explore how ALMP is understood and experienced by UK employers, how it impacts on how businesses are run, and how employment services can work more effectively with employers, leading to better outcomes for individuals and the wider economy (McCollum, 2012). The UK's main vehicle for ALMP, and flagship policy of recent welfare reforms is Universal Credit (UC). UC is the new working age benefit for those who are either out of work or on a low income (DWP, 2010). Under UC, social security for unemployed people is conditional on claimants demonstrating work search and other work-related activities. This is underpinned by a 'Work First' approach, emphasising high volumes of applications and fast work re-entry. It also potentially involves the extension of conditionality to those in work, blurring the traditional distinction between social security claimants who are in and outside of the paid labour market (Dwyer and Wright, 2014). Aims and objectivesThe project has four main aims. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews with employers, policymakers and other key stakeholders, this research project will: 1. explore how UK ALMP is understood and experienced by employers2. identify how ALMP impacts UK businesses, including how they recruit, retain and progress their staff (and explore differences between sectors) 3. explore how the impact of ALMP on employers varies in different low pay sectors4. explore how the public employment service can work effectively with employers to lead to better employment outcomes for claimantsTo realise these aims, the project is underpinned by four related objectives: 1. To generate new qualitative data on how ALMP impacts on employers and firm behaviour through consultation with employers, policy makers and other key stakeholders2. To expand scholarly understanding of ALMP and its impact, beyond a traditional supply side focus on unemployed claimants3. To identify ways in which public employment services (i.e. Jobcentre Plus and other contracted providers) could work with employers to help Universal Credit claimants enter and progress in work 4. To inform policy development and debate relating to ALMP for both unemployed and working Universal Credit claimantsPotential applications and benefitsThis research has been designed to have clear benefits for multiple stakeholders: policymakers in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will benefit through the insight it will provide into employer interactions with ALMP; employers will benefit as it will enable their voices to be heard on policy which impacts them and their staff; employer representative organisations will benefit through greater awareness of how UC impacts on the businesses they represent; employment and skills agencies, unions and other organisations supporting UC claimants will benefit from a greater awareness of how UC interacts with employment practices, which can help to shape their advice and support; Universal Credit claimants will benefit through more informed public debate and policy development which better reflects the realities of work, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of support for claimants; and academics will benefit through new insights and the creation of a new dataset.