NO JOB SECURITY FOR 274,000 OF US
Misery of low-pay, temporary work and zero-hour contracts
ABOUT 274,000 people in Scotland are thought to be in insecure work.
A total of 71,000 are on zero-hours contracts and 43,000 are in temporary work, excluding those on fixed short-term contracts.
Researchers estimate a further 160,000 workers are in low-paid self-employment.
The research, from the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre, is based on the Office for National Statistics April-June l abour force survey.
Scottish Labour’s economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Too many jobs in Scotland are insecure, without guaranteed hours or income.
“That insecurity then flows through our economy, holding it back – from the stress it puts on working people, to the pressure it puts on family finances.
“People can’t plan ahead if they don’t know what next month’s pay cheque will be – if it turns up at all.”
She added: “The next Labour government will ban zero-hours contracts and we will press the SNP to stop handing taxpayer money, in the form of public contracts and grants, to companies who use them.
“But there is a wider issue around the quality of jobs in our economy.
“We need a move towards high-wage, high-skill jobs that can only be delivered by a proper industrial strategy and an end to austerity.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Wages in Scotland are growing overall and we have seen a fall of 6000 in the number of people on zero-hours contracts.
“Latest figures also show that the overall level of temporary employment in Scotland fell by 5.7 per cent over the year from July 2016 to June 2017. However, temporary employment can also be a choice for individuals who want to work flexibly.
“In recent months, we have seen employment rates close to record highs and unemployment rates close to record lows.”