Exploring employment and poverty rates amongst disadvantaged residents to inform service delivery
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Authors
Jack Lawton-Summers
Jimmy Flynn
Contact
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Issue Date
06-May-26
Type
Conference Abstract
Language
Keywords
Economic inclusion
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background
Islington's Community Wealth Building team provides employment support services across the borough. Whilst some service provision is dictated by funders, there are opportunities for the team to focus resources on groups of residents that need additional support. In doing this, the council aims to address inequalities that persist across the borough.
Objectives
The core objective of the work was to review available data to understand which groups in the borough are under-employed or face financial challenges so that support services can be targeted at those most in need.
Methods
Descriptive analysis of national and local datasets explored differential employment rates and regression analysis was used to understand the significance of predictive characteristics. Outcome variables of interest were mapped using GIS software.
Datasets included the low-income family tracker, local benefits' claimant data, and the Labour Force Survey.
Results
Our quantitative findings indicated that Turkish, Caribbean and African identities were over-represented in benefits' claimant data. However, these groups were more likely to report earnings compared to other claimants, suggesting low-paying work is more common amongst these residents. Residents with disabilities or long-term health conditions had lower rates of employment than others. However, non-disabled residents within the datasets were more likely to face financial risk and poverty, despite their higher rates of employment. Our analysis also suggested that two-parent households had high levels of poverty alongside high employment rates.
Together, this analysis reveals a nuanced picture. Employment in Islington is not directly related to financial security and avoiding poverty - quality of work, the welfare system, and other available support complicate individual circumstances and suggest that interventions need to be tailored to different contexts.
Discussion/learning for wider community
Our work suggests that targeting support services based on employment rates alone risks missing key contextual factors that impact outcomes. Developing an understanding of the nuanced intersections of employment, the welfare system, precarity, and identity can help councils provide appropriate support and to challenge inequalities. The project also highlighted the benefits of conducting research in close collaboration with delivery staff; this approach allowed us to bridge the knowledge-action gap.