The Future to Come

The Work and Pensions Secretary, Damian Green, said jobs of the future may not have stable hours, holiday pay, sick pay, or pensions and described the trend in employment practices towards the so-called “gig economy” as “exciting” , saying the changes had “huge potential”.

At the Reform think-tank meeting, he explained: “Just a few years ago the idea of a proper job meant a job that brings in a fixed monthly salary, with fixed hours, paid holidays, sick pay, a pension scheme and other contractual benefits. But the gig economy has changed all that. We’ve seen the rise of the everyday entrepreneur. People now own their time and control who receives their services and when. They can pick and mix their employers, their hours, their offices, their holiday patterns. This is one of the most significant developments in the labour market. The potential is huge and the change is exciting.”

He also argued that the private sector and voluntary sector should be more involved in the provision of welfare services. “The Government is a necessary, but not sufficient provider of welfare,” he said.