Tackling austerity, welfare and work in contemporary Britain

‘Austerity’ policies have had a disproportionately negative and deep impact on Midlands and Northern cities, which have also been seriously impacted by the COVID crisis. Staffordshire University research, led by Professor Martin Jones, has examined recovery strategies and policies for employment and social responses. New strategies and policies under study include income safety nets, expanded access to health and safety at work, job and training guarantee programmes, and compensation schemes for Northern cities.

Building on their earlier research on local and regional economic development, Professor David Etherington and Jones have researched economic and social restructuring in cities. They have focused on how austerity policies affect social inequality.

Staffordshire University research on deindustrialised city-regions (Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent particularly) has highlighted how trade unions, local government and community organisations can address the needs of marginalised workers through securing employment and welfare rights. Staffordshire University research has also been central to the Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise (SNAP) campaign and supplied an evidence base for:

• Addressing inequality and insecurity in deindustrialised settings
• Innovative strategies that engage marginalised workers through Job Rotation
• Means for hardship advocacy groups and local policymakers (such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)) to address low-pay and employment insecurity by creating new paid roles and engaging with local communities.

Tackling Austerity, Welfare and Work in Contemporary Britain