Self-employment surge show jobs market is weaker than headlines suggest

date: 6 February 2013

embargo: For immediate release

Responding to new figures on self-employment published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

'Self-employment is normally a very small part of the workforce so the fact that it's been outstripping employee job growth shows that the UK labour market is far weaker than headlines suggest.

'The recent rise in job levels is being driven by self-employed, part-time and temporary jobs, rather than the full-time, permanent work that many people want and need.

'There may be perfectly good reasons for being self-employed but it would be naive to think that all these workers are really budding entrepreneurs.

'These figures instead suggest that many employee roles are being replaced by self-employed positions. Bogus self-employment is bad news for staff as they miss out on vital rights at work, such as paid holidays and employer pension contributions, without having the advantage of being their own boss.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The ONS figures are available at www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/mro/news-release/self-employed-up-367-000-in-four-years--mostly-since-2011/senr0213.html

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

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