UK labour supply inquiry: unions and employers to give evidence to Economic Affairs Committee
Monday 10 October 2022
On Tuesday 11 October the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee will be taking evidence from two panels of witnesses as part of its inquiry on the UK’s labour supply.
At 3pm the committee will hear from:
- Mike Clancy, General Secretary, Prospect Union
- Kate Bell, Head of Rights, International, Social and Economic Department, Trades Union Congress.
At 4pm the committee will hear from:
- David Hale, Head of Public Affairs, Federation of Small Businesses
- Jon Boys, Labour Market Economist, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
The meeting will be held in Committee Room 4A of the House of Lords. It will also be streamed live on Parliament TV.
Topics the committee is likely to cover in these sessions include:
- Why people are leaving the workforce.
- How to encourage retention.
- Why wages have not grown more in the light of the tight labour market and increases in the cost of living.
- Most effective ways of enabling over 50s who have left labour force to re-join.
- The problems caused by long-term sickness.
- Explanations for the fall in the number of self-employed people since the pandemic.
- Impact of changes to migration on different sectors/occupations.
More about this inquiry
Vacancies are still at record levels and above pre-pandemic levels in all industries. The committee is seeking to understand the main causes of the reduction in the size of the labour force, and it will explore data on the types of people who have left the labour market.
The committee is also interested in what differences exist between labour market trends in the UK compared with those in other developed countries.
The committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.
