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

2. 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…?

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. Our Challenge
Over to you!!