Just the job – or a working compromise? The rise of self-employment and what it means for the labour market

At this event the Resolution Foundation presented the findings of a timely new report on the changing face of self-employment in the UK and its implications for the labour market and living standards. Ben Page of Ipsos MORI explained the results of a comprehensive survey of self-employed workers conducted as part of the project which explores the factors that draw people into self-employment and the impact on pay, security, family life and prospects.

In response Rohan Silva, former technology adviser to David Cameron and George Osborne, spoke about the links between self-employment and entrepreneurialism and Hugh Stickland, chief economist at the Citizens Advice Bureau, discussed the shifting labour market and the insecurity that self-employment can bring for some workers.

The event was chaired by Sarah O’Connor, economics correspondent at the Financial Times and the current Business and Financial Journalist of the Year.