Labour Market Economics

The London Economics’ Labour Markets team has extensive experience in the labour markets arena, having undertaken many high profile projects ranging from the evaluation of policy interventions (such as the London Living Wage) to the analysis of labour market outcomes achieved by individuals in possession of different qualifications or in receipt of different active labour market policies. Our clients include central government Departments and Non-Departmental Public Bodies, the European Parliament, European Commission and the OECD.

We make use of a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and approaches to answer a range of research questions including:

  • Literature Reviews and information gathering
  • Survey design and primary data collection
  • Administration of choice experiments and contingent valuation
  • Analysis of large matched data sets
  • Sophisticated econometric analysis
  • Cost effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis

With these approaches, the Labour Market team provide insights into a range of labour market issues including:

  • The impact of active labour market policies on labour market outcomes
  • The impact of the UK National Minimum Wage on employment and hours
  • The earnings and employment outcomes associated with educational attainment
  • Labour market mobility and employment mismatch
  • Policy and strategy development for targeting worklessness
  • Assessing the economic and labour market footprint of relocating firms
  • Assessment of taxation revenues and compliance over the economic cycle

Recent projects

Our expertise has been trusted by a wide range of clients, national, international and EU level, in both the public and private sector. We consider all the work that we undertake to form the basis of a long term relationship with our clients and many of our clients return regularly for further analysis and research.

Department for Business Innovation, and Skills

  • Assessment of the impact of training on firm level productivity (forthcoming)
  • An evaluation of the National Careers Service on earnings, employment and benefit dependency (forthcoming)
  • Assessing the impact of prisoner learning on labour market outcomes (forthcoming)
  • An evaluation of UK National Careers (Next Step) Service (RR 97 here)
  • Estimating the impact of vocational qualifications on productivity (RR 72 here)
  • A cost benefit analysis of flexible working arrangements in the workplace (unpublished)
  • Assessing the labour market returns to intermediate and low level vocational qualifications (RR 53 here)
  • Impact of skills on labour market earnings, employment and benefit dependency (RR 47 here)
  • The labour market returns to higher education qualifications (RR 45 here)

Low Pay Commission

  • The impact of the National Minimum Wage on young people (here)
  • A comparison of apprentice pay in 14 countries internationally (here)
  • The bite of the minimum wage (here)

UK Commission for Employment and Skills

  • The death of the Saturday job (here)

GLA Economics

  • An assessment of the economic and social impact associated with the London Living Wage (here)

OECD

  • A critique of Education at a Glance indicator A9 (returns to higher education)
  • An exploratory analysis of PIACC Skills data
  • The economic returns to literacy, numeracy and ICT skills (here)