Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK
The economic crisis that led to recession in the UK in 2008–9 impacted in multiple ways on work and economic life. This article examines changes to the work-time of employees. The UK stood out for its recessionary expansion of work-time underemployment. Working in a job that provides ‘too few’ hours...
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| Format: | Article |
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Sage
2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29385/ |
| _version_ | 1848793773168918528 |
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| author | Warren, Tracey |
| author_facet | Warren, Tracey |
| author_sort | Warren, Tracey |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The economic crisis that led to recession in the UK in 2008–9 impacted in multiple ways on work and economic life. This article examines changes to the work-time of employees. The UK stood out for its recessionary expansion of work-time underemployment. Working in a job that provides ‘too few’ hours can have serious ramifications for the economic livelihood of workers. Working-class workers are central here. Drawing on analysis of large-scale survey data, the article identifies that workers in lower level occupations experienced the most substantial post-recessionary growth in the proportions working ‘too few’ hours. Did these work-time changes narrow or widen class inequalities in feelings of financial hardship? The article concludes that although middle-class workers also saw their financial positions damaged, this so-called ‘first middle-class recession’ did not erode class inequalities in financial hardship among UK workers. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:05:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-29385 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:05:37Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Sage |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-293852020-05-04T20:09:25Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29385/ Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK Warren, Tracey The economic crisis that led to recession in the UK in 2008–9 impacted in multiple ways on work and economic life. This article examines changes to the work-time of employees. The UK stood out for its recessionary expansion of work-time underemployment. Working in a job that provides ‘too few’ hours can have serious ramifications for the economic livelihood of workers. Working-class workers are central here. Drawing on analysis of large-scale survey data, the article identifies that workers in lower level occupations experienced the most substantial post-recessionary growth in the proportions working ‘too few’ hours. Did these work-time changes narrow or widen class inequalities in feelings of financial hardship? The article concludes that although middle-class workers also saw their financial positions damaged, this so-called ‘first middle-class recession’ did not erode class inequalities in financial hardship among UK workers. Sage 2015-04 Article PeerReviewed Warren, Tracey (2015) Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK. Work, Employment and Society, 29 (2). pp. 191-212. ISSN 0950-0170 class financial hardship recession work-time http://wes.sagepub.com/content/29/2/191.abstract doi:10.1177/0950017014559264 doi:10.1177/0950017014559264 |
| spellingShingle | class financial hardship recession work-time Warren, Tracey Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK |
| title | Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK |
| title_full | Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK |
| title_fullStr | Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK |
| title_full_unstemmed | Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK |
| title_short | Work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the UK |
| title_sort | work-time underemployment and financial hardship: class inequalities and recession in the uk |
| topic | class financial hardship recession work-time |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29385/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29385/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29385/ |