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Supporting specific types of potential employee who may have particular problems in accessing and remaining in the labour market can be a way of both helping these individuals and ensuring a motivated and committed workforce. Recent IES research examined company policies that support young workers, older workers and women, in the context of flexicurity, showing the benefits that can be gained for employees and employers alike.

As difficult labour market conditions persist into 2011, Jobcentre Plus has an important role to play in helping to meet one of the government’s aspirations to provide ‘help for those who cannot work’ and ‘training and targeted support for those looking for work’. This is particularly the case for ethnic minority groups, who continue to face significant disadvantage in the labour market, both in terms of job entry and career progression. However, a recent study from IES has found that customer satisfaction with Jobcentre Plus services does not appear to be strongly linked to ethnicity. As such, the study suggests that ethnic minorities may benefit from an overall improvement in service delivery, rather than a differentiated approach.

The type of relationship that the UK will have with the rest of the EU now that the new coalition government in place is likely to take shape over time. The government’s coalition programme does not reveal a great deal about its plans for its future relationship with the EU. However, it does state that its primary concern is to ensure that the UK plays a leading role in Europe, but that there is no further transfer of power from the UK to Brussels without a referendum in the UK.

The Access to Work programme (AtW) has been operating in the UK since 1994 and is designed for people with long-term health conditions and impairments who require additional support to take up work or to do their job. It aims to reduce inequalities between disabled people and non-disabled people in the workplace by removing practical barriers to work.