Self-employment is rising in the UK. Many of those in self-employment value the flexibility and autonomy that their work brings and experience high levels of job satisfaction. However, there is wide variation among the self-employed. The SMF’s previous research, kindly supported by Trust for London, finds that the self-employed are more likely to be in low pay than employees, and that the gap is set to widen as the National Living Wage rises over time. Compared to low-paid employees, the low-paid self-employed are less likely to have other sources of income such as a partner’s earnings, or income from savings and investments.
The SMF’s recent report, ‘Tough Gig: Tackling low paid self-employment in London and the UK’, makes recommendations on what local and national Government should do to tackle the problem and support those in low-paid self-employment to progress into higher pay.
Nida Broughton, Chief Economist at the SMF, Adam Corlett from the Resolution Foundation and Mubin Haq from Trust for London will discuss the findings of the recent report and what they mean for the UK’s, as well as London’s, self-employed. There will be an opportunity for members of the audience to put questions to the panel.
Chair
Hilary Osborne, Editor of the guardian.co.uk’s money site
Panellists
Adam Corlett, Economic Analyst, Resolution Foundation
Mubin Haq, Director of Policy & Grants, Trust for London
Nida Broughton. Chief Economist, Social Market Foundation