The health effects start when people first feel their jobs are threatened, even before they actually become unemployed. This shows that anxiety about job insecurity is also detrimental to health. Evidence shows that job insecurity has adverse effects on mental health (particularly anxiety and depression), self-reported ill health, heart disease and risk factors for heart disease (Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts, Second Edition by WHO Europe). However, simply having a job may not be enough to contribute to good mental and physical health if it is an unsecure or poorly paid job.

While unemployment rates in the UK have slowly decreased in the past couple of years, unemployment rates increased in 2020 due to the unprecedented economic shock that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. They are expected to increase further as the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends. Data illustrates that workers in low paid jobs were more likely to be furloughed or lose hours and pay than higher paid workers. This suggests that lower paid workers may also be more likely to be made redundant and become unemployed. This increases the likelihood of poor health and wellbeing outcomes amongst workers in lower paid and unsecure jobs. It is, therefore, important to have a range of support measures in place, including retraining and ensure the recovery increase the provision of good, fair employment.

ILO Unemployment rate (percentage of economically active population) Source: Key Economic Statistics, 2021, Key Economic Statistics, January 2021 (gov.wales)