Excellent analysis from @tonywilsonIES on UC levels & a call to moblise employment support services. Which made me think: Will the supply-side thinking that underpins 'employability' programmes need a huge rethink? Is throwing people at available vacancies still the answer? 1/8

IMO we should think holistically about the UK labour market: employment support, skills training, job quality, & (in)security. We end up paying for failures in our social security & employment legislation in crisis times (such as now) through emergency programmes, etc. (2/8)

E.g. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a huge employment support scheme. There have been swift changes to UC in recent weeks. So there's an opportunity here for a total revamp of employment support too beyond the typical 'workcoach' model (3/8)

First, we need to acknowledge well-being. E.g. Unemployment, redundancy, insecure work are very stressful. It is important we know about the numbers, but also what it feels like, how people cope (or don't), long term mental health, relationships, & so forth. We need to care. 4/8

Second, we need to understand the variety of experiences. Which jobs did not provide sick leave, for which workers, & why? Which companies engaged in discriminatory furloughing? Which 'better' jobs could now be replaced by weaker, agency contracts rather than employees? (5/8)

Because to truly improve employment we need to consider improving job security & quality so millions of people can't suddenly be so vulnerable. Precarious work has been problematic for many years, but now is an opportunity to address the structural causes (& incentives) (6/8)

Policy responses must recognize that throwing people back at the labour market into available jobs, when there have not been improvements to security & conditions, may improve employment stats in the short-term, but will not improve the labour market. (7/8)

We need to tighten & improve the employment practices in some industries & occupations, invest properly in skills training (of all ages), & importantly ditch the workfare doctrine that shapes employment support & 'welfare reform'. It's just not fit for purpose (8/8)