LONE PARENTS, THE NEW DEAL AND THE OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS TO RETAIL EMPLOYMENT

Abstract

The number of lone parents has increased considerably in recent years and the UK Labour Government has reacted by encouraging them to move from welfare and into work. This group face multi-dimensional and complex barriers to employment that the government has attempted to rectify through the introduction of various initiatives such as the National Childcare Strategy, the Working Families Tax Credit and the New Deal. The availability of appropriate employment opportunities is central to this strategy. Retail employment is perceived to be one such opportunity. This article examines the Glasgow supermarket sector as a suitable employer for clients of the New Deal for Lone Parents programme. The findings demonstrate that lone parents still experience significant barriers to work, even in a sector that is considered a viable employment option.

Notes

Eli Dutton, Scottish Centre for Employment Research, Department of Human Resource Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XT, UK. Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [email protected]

The authors would like to thank the Glasgow Employer Coalition for allowing the publication of this data.

Due to the statistically small size of lone fathers, this research regards lone parents as largely synonymous with lone mothers. This approach is in keeping with most publications/reports in this area (see, for example, Casebourne, 2002; Moss et al., 1999)

See the JobcentrePlus website at http//:www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.

Based on SICs 52.11-52.63 (retail trade) rather than the broader definition of wholesale, retail and motor trade.

See Grugulis et al. (2004) for a general discussion of these ‘skills’.

See Nickson et al. (2004) for a broader discussion.