illustration for the drivers of inequality

Driver Category 4.1

Unequal work opportunities

This main driver category covers aspects related to employment, unemployment and under-employment. These include investment in job creation generally – eg. youth employment strategies or national employment strategies. The ability of some to access better paid jobs, secure promotion and better opportunities, compared to others is an important factor behind inequalities in financial security. Some individuals become trapped in low paid jobs or informal work which can be precarious leading to financial insecurity.

This category also cover aspects that determine differential access to jobs, such as discriminatory employment practices and the restrictive practices of professional organisations. Aspects related to demographic change are also relevant to employment policies (eg. the rise in dual earner households, single headed households and changing patterns of family formation). Inequalities can be driven by state discrimination via labour market policy design - whether as a result of gender blind policies with differential impacts on women and men or due to the inappropriate methods of targeting employment programmes.

The comprehensiveness of efforts in developing countries to diversify economies, promote new skills, technologies and industries should be considered within this driver category.

Guiding Questions

Industrial and employment strategy

  • Does the government have an industrial strategy designed to support the creation and sustainability of good quality jobs?
  • Is there a regional industrial stragegy supported by regional economic analysis of employment, skills, skill-mismatch and resources?
  • Does the government have a developed inclusive growth strategy?
  • How is inclusive growth monitored?
  • Does the government have an investment strategy consistent with an inclusive growth agenda?
  • Is there a stragegy to deal with industrial decline and structural change, particularly where industry is regionally concentrated?
  • Does the government have a strategy for industrial diversification?
  • Does the government have a youth employment strategy which includes youth training programmes and apprenticeships?
  • Does the government monitor how many young people are not in education, employment or training?

Opportunity hoarding

  • Is recruitment to high paying jobs open and transparent?
  • Are these jobs widely advertised?
  • Is there evidence of recruitment to high paying jobs based on patronage?
  • Is there evidence that people in top jobs and positions of power have been recruited from a small number of elite schools and universities or come from particularly priviledged backgrounds?
  • Are men and women equally likely to hold top jobs and positions of power?
  • Are there differences in recruitment into these jobs between ethinic minority groups and by disability status?
  • Is there unequal distribution of work across households with some work-rich households where all adults are in work and other households which are work-poor where no adults are in work?
  • Are there barriers to entry into the top professions, which can include the need to complete unpaid internships?
  • Does any government supported body monitor unfair barriers to entry into professions and make recomendations for how discriminatory barriers can be removed?
  • Are there independent bodies tasked with monitoring equality and any violation of discrimination laws?
  • Are these bodies sufficiently funded to legally challenge discrimination cases?

Low paid precarious work

  • Are particular groups more likely to be employed in low paid jobs?
  • For example, are women, some ethnic minorities and people with disabilities more likely to be low paid?
  • Are there opportunities to progress out of low paid work into higher paying jobs?
  • Are some groups more likely to work in precarious forms of employment or self-employment?
  • Are trade unions and other worker organisations working effectively to reduce precarious forms of work?
  • Is the government taking action to improve the terms and conditions of precarious forms of work?

Modern slavery

  • Is there evidence of 'modern slavery'?
  • What is the government doing to eradicate modern slavery?
  • Are the perprectators effectively dealt with?
  • Are victims of modern slavery given appropriate support, including help with immigration status?

Indicators

Potential indicators to monitor the drivers of inequalities in this main driver category

  • Public expenditure on industrial and employment strategy as % GDP
  • % of 18-24 year olds participating in youth training or apprenticeships, overall and by gender
  • % of highest paying jobs filled by ex-pupils of elite private schools or graduates from elite universities
  • % women and ethnic minorities in highest paying jobs
  • % low paid workers who are members of a trade union or worker organisation
  • Annual pay growth of low paid jobs relative to pay growth of high paid jobs
  • Number of cases of modern slavery identified in last year, and number of successful prosecutions

Candidate Policies

To see related Candidate Policies in this main driver category please click here.