How secure work can reduce regional inequality

Florisson, Rebecca (2025) How secure work can reduce regional inequality. Global Political Economy. pp. 1-15. ISSN 2635-2257

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Abstract

This article, which forms part of the commentary on ‘The global politics of precarity and insecure work’, provides an in-depth analysis of job insecurity across England’s mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) and its impact on regional inequality. It uses a new multi-dimensional measure of job insecurity, looking at this through the lens of three different ways in which people may experience insecure work. First, contractual insecurity, where people are not guaranteed future hours or future work. Second, financial insecurity, where people’s pay is unpredictable or is simply too low to survive on. Third, lack of access to rights and protections represents a concrete vulnerability. By addressing job insecurity through these measures, this article argues that it is possible to reduce regional inequalities and support economic growth and stability across England. Key findings include: 1) prevalence of insecure work: approximately 19.4 per cent of the workforce in England’s nine MCAs and Greater London are engaged in severely insecure work; 2) sectoral composition: insecure work tends to be concentrated in specific industries, such as hospitality, retail, social care and services. However, in some localities, the hospitality sector offers more secure roles than in others, which appears to be related to higher value added and higher productivity; 3) impact on local economies: regions with higher levels of insecure work also show higher unemployment and economic inactivity rates. Insecure work is more prevalent in specific sectors such as hospitality, social care and administrative services, with variations in the level of job security across different local economies.