Introduction -

The year since the first edition of Global Legal Insights – Employment & Labour Law has seen some of the most far-reaching and significant employment law reform in the United Kingdom for many years, combined with a challenging business environment and various shifts in the nature of the employment market. The Coalition Government’s programme of employment law reform has gathered considerable pace over the past year and therefore this chapter is devoted mainly to summarising the legislative changes made and to be introduced to the United Kingdom’s employment protection regime.

Overview of employment market issues Unemployment -

The Office for National Statistics (“ONS”) published a Statistical Bulletin on Labour Market Statistics in the UK on 17 July 2013. According to this report, the number of unemployed people in the UK is currently 2.51 million. Unemployment dropped by:

• 57,000 between December 2012 and June 2013;

• 21,200 in the month of June 2013; and

• 72,000 between July 2012 and July 2013.

Originally published in Global Legal Insights – Employment & Labour Law, 2nd Edition.