Since May 1997, when the Labour party won a landslide victory in the general election, the UK government has pursued an ambitious program of reform of the welfare state. A discussion document, Supporting Families, published in 1998, set out Labour's approach to family policy and many of the measures introduced have had a direct impact on the lives and well-being of families. Professor Millar's main research interests are social security and family policy, especially lone parenthood, poverty, and support for children. This presentation draws on a recently published paper in The Economics and Labour Relations Review . That paper reviews evidence about the incidence and impact of unemployment on the family.
Sole parents have a high unemployment rate.
As a result around one-third of unemployment is borne by parents with dependent children. The broader issue of joblessness in families is examined. Unemployment could also harm children's development and employment futures. The presentation will also point to the need to go beyond a focus on unemployment and joblessness, but to also take account of the effects of the changing nature of work, especially issues of precarious work, low paid work and underemployment. Alison McClelland is Associate Professor of Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University.