As the cost of living squeeze tightens, a recruitment veteran with three decades in the game insists the UK’s labour market is still the envy of the G7. But for workers on the ground, the reality feels far from rosy.
Sandra Bullock, a senior partner at a Manchester-based agency, has spent her career placing thousands of people into jobs across the North. She argues that despite headlines about strikes and wage stagnation, employment figures tell a different story. “The UK has consistently outperformed our peers on employment rates since the 1990s,” she said. “Even after the pandemic, we bounced back faster than Germany, Japan, or the US.”
Official statistics back her up. The Office for National Statistics reports the UK employment rate for 16-64 year olds stood at 75.8% in the three months to February, compared to an OECD average of around 68%. Among G7 nations, only Japan comes close. Yet the devil is in the detail. The number of people economically inactive due to long-term sickness has surged past 2.5 million, a record high. And for those in work, real wages have barely budged since 2008, with average weekly earnings up just 0.4% after inflation over the past year.
Critics say the headline figure masks a toxic cocktail of insecure work and low pay. The TUC points out that one in eight workers are on zero-hours contracts, and the number of people in part-time jobs who want full-time hours has risen. “It’s not enough to have a job,” said Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary. “People need a job that pays the bills and offers security. Too many are stuck in precarious work, especially in sectors like hospitality and care.”
Bullock acknowledges these concerns but argues that the UK’s flexible labour market is a strength. “Employers need to be able to adapt. Fixed-term contracts and agency work give people a foot in the door. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the alternative: high unemployment, like we saw in the 1980s.”
In her 30 years, Bullock has witnessed seismic shifts: the decline of manufacturing, the rise of the gig economy, and now the pandemic aftermath. Her advice to jobseekers today? “Upskill, be flexible, and don’t be afraid to switch sectors. The jobs exist. It’s about matching the right person to the right role.”
Yet in towns like Burnley and Grimsby, where factory closures have left scars, the message feels hollow. Regional inequality is stark. London’s employment rate is 78%, but in the North East it’s just 72%. And with inflation still above the Bank of England’s 2% target, the gap between a job and a living wage grows ever wider.
The government points to record vacancies, at over 1.1 million, and plans to boost skills training. But for the mother working two zero-hour jobs to keep the heating on, or the factory worker made redundant at 55, the global league table means little. The question is not whether the UK has the best employment rate in the G7, but whether that work pays enough to live.
As Bullock herself admitted: “A job is more than a statistic. It’s a life.”
