UK Public Employment Services Neil Couling & Derek French How Good We Could Be UK Public Employment Services Neil Couling & Derek French

We have weathered the recession better than many… Since the end of 2009 the employment rate has risen by over 1 percentage point Employment Rate Aged 16-64 This chart compares the depth and durations of the recessions in the 1980s, 1990s and late 2000s and the associated increases in unemployment. This time around the increase in unemployment has been relatively modest, although the contraction of the economy is the most severe that we have seen in recent times. What’s different…?

…but no one has really noticed because it hasn’t shown up in lower unemployment ILO and claimant unemployment (%) Source: LFS

Welfare reform has moved people from inactive benefits to JSA where they are given more help to look for work and unemployment has remained flat despite these additions

Labour Force Inactivity Contrary to the trend in previous recessions, the inactivity rate has fallen Labour Force Lowest rate since early 90s Inactivity Source: LFS

Separate Jobcentres and Benefit Offices Our Journey Separate Jobcentres and Benefit Offices Universal Credit Modernisation Local Flexibility Jobcentre Plus 2000 2003 2007 2010 2013 6,300 contracts Nearly 2,000 providers 1,700 contracts 600+ providers Work Programme 40 contracts 18 providers All agree that the State can’t stand aside from the labour market But over the past decade and more we’ve transformed and modernised our interventions Describe DWP journey – creation of JCP/modernisation/new channels/flexibility Describe how we’ve transformed the Welfare to Work Market

Where are we now? Our combined efforts help nearly 90% of jobseekers off JSA within a year Work Programme providers have helped over 320k of the hardest-to-help into jobs Providers and Jobcentre Plus are collaborating to great effect: colocation employer engagement working together with local partners Mark Hoban has asked Andrew Sells to lead the Best Practice Group, bring together experts from many quarters to help improve the Work programme’s offer to the most disadvantaged Collectively we’re doing well in difficult circumstances… …but for UK plc to succeed in a tough world we need to do better

Our Challenge We must aspire to achieve the best we can but where’s the ceiling? What would the welfare to work landscape look like if providers and Jobcentre Plus upped their game by 10%...20%...50%? A 5% increase in off-flow equates to over 100,000 job entries per year How can we achieve that?

Our Challenge Over to you!!