Highest Amount Ever of Zero-hours Contracts

New information released from the Office of National Statistics have revealed that 910,000 employees are now working on zero hour contracts, the highest amount to date. Back in 2005 there were only 100,000 originally on zero-hour contracts.

The research revealed that over the last number of years there has been a significant growth in the number of zero-hours contracts being used by UK employers. In 2015 it is believed that 805,000 employees where on zero-hours contracts. Furthermore, In comparison to 2014, there is an increase of 30%. However, it must be noted that even though the figure released is a record high, the report does show a rapid slow down in the rate of the increase in the last six months of 2016.

A zero-hours contract is an employment contract that an employee has that has no set minimum hours or definite schedule of work. It allows employers to hire employees with no guarantee of work. Many employers use such contracts to cover situations where work fluctuates. Employees under these contracts are required to be flexible, and due to personal circumstances this can be a suitable working arrangement for some.

Conor D’Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, which undertook the analysis of the ONS’s Labour Force Survey, said: “It’s notable that the increase of 0.8% in the second half of 2016 compares to a 7.7% rise over the same period in 2015."

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