Linking Jobs and Poverty in Cities

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Poverty remains a major problem in British cities. Poverty rates are high amongst those who are not in work, and there is also an increasing concern about the scale of in-work poverty. However, relatively little is known about how cities might best develop local approaches aimed at tackling poverty.

This project aims to evaluate the UK and international evidence to help identify the most effective local level approaches which can link poor households to jobs that enable them to move out of poverty. The focus is on the following research questions:

• What are the most efficient and effective local level approaches to connecting people out of work to jobs?
• What are the most efficient and effective local level approaches to connecting people in work to better jobs?
• What does this evidence mean for related policy in the UK and the roles of different actors at a local level?

IMPACT STATEMENT

The project will provide an international evidence review of approaches to linking households in poverty to better employment outcomes. The study will cover a range of policy areas including skills, public and private employment services, economic development, health, transport, innovation and business support services. The findings from the review will be further developed through expert interviews and case studies to provide additional learning on promising approaches.

Overall, the review will provide a detailed evidence base to support policymaking at the city level.