About the Project
The UK is experiencing rapid growth in low-paid self-employment. This doctoral project will be part of a new interdisciplinary programme of research looking at how welfare systems shape ‘decent’ self-employment. It will put the UK in context by comparing welfare provision with two other countries and developing policy recommendations.
This is a 3 year full-time scholarship which will cover the tuition fees and an annual bursary of £14,777
Aims and objectives
The aim of this doctoral project is to compare the efficacy of welfare systems in three countries. These countries are the United Kingdom and two others, which are likely to include a Nordic state and another northern European economy comparable to the UK.
Due to our existing international connections, we will probably compare with Denmark and Germany. However, this selection may vary in light of the doctoral researcher’s language skills and/or interests – particularly if a theoretically more interesting comparative context is identified.
The project’s objectives are to:
1) Define ‘decent’ self-employment.
2) Analyse the risks created by self-employment, the role of welfare systems in moderating these risks, and the processes through which welfare rules can either encourage, discourage, or regulate particular forms of self-employment.
3) Compare the three state welfare systems as to how they perform in relation to objective (2).
4) Identify approaches to better practice in designing a welfare system that shapes ‘decent’ self-employment.
5) Propose policy recommendations to improve the UK welfare system.
Factoring in research impact will be integral to the project from the outset, especially due to the continual engagement with stakeholders in the project design and analysis.
Context
The UK economy has experienced a dramatic increase in self-employment as a main job, rising from 3.8 million in 2007 to 4.7 million in 2015. These account for 15% of all jobs.
Although growth in self-employment is not an inevitable recessionary effect – rates fell in the 1990s recession and have declined in the EU – job recovery from the UK’s recent recession was primarily via self-employment (ONS, 2014).
However, a significant amount of this increase are low-paid jobs. Average earnings in self-employment today are equivalent to just 54% of the average wage from employment.
The rise in low-income self-employment can be attributed to a number of factors:
* A growth in self-employment among lower earning groups, such as women and older workers.
* A rapid decrease in self-employed income, down 22% in real terms between 2002–2012.
* A drag on exit rates from self-employment, down from 36% (2004–09) to 23% (2009-14), raising concerns of a low-income trap.
(Sources: ONS, 2017, 2016a, 2014; Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2015).
Poverty rates are also high in families that include a self-employed worker:
* 40% in couples where one partner is self-employed.
* Nearly 40% for part-time self-employed workers who are single.
* 26% in couples where both partners are self-employed.
* 26% for full-time self-employed workers who are single.
(Source: JRF, 2015)
These worrying statistics suggest we need a welfare system better designed to prevent poverty in self-employed families. Equally, we may also need an approach that discourages entrance into low-paid self-employment and encourages early exit.
Researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Business and Law are working to scrutinize the UK’s welfare provision for the self-employed. This includes scrutinizing both the effects and effectiveness of Universal Credit, Tax Credits, the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme, Housing Benefit and family leave payments.
We are also interested in working with various stakeholders to consider what a more effective welfare system might look like. A system specifically designed to encourage ‘decent’ self-employment in the UK, post-Brexit.
Start date
The successful candidate would be expected to start in September or October 2018.
Supervisor
The project’s supervisory team will include Professor Julia Rouse.
Specific requirements of the project
We welcome applicants who can demonstrate an interest and/or expertise in entrepreneurship or welfare systems, particularly those who are passionate about shaping welfare provision to encourage ‘decent ’self-employment.
Furthermore, candidates must be willing to learn about both domains and evidence the ability to think analytically. Ideally, they may have a history in policy development or research impact.
The project demands that applicants are able to work collaboratively with international and national academics and stakeholders. Therefore, we are seeking a researcher who has both experience and confidence in building relationships, working on their own initiative and within a team.
Ideally, the researcher will bring another European language skill relevant to countries involved. Candidates will not be expected to be fluent in the project’s languages, but they will have the confidence and perseverance to work with partners to identify key texts and manage the process of having them translated into English.
The researcher is offered a rounded ‘apprenticeship’ in research through an involvement in two University Centres for Research and Knowledge Exchange. As such, candidates should demonstrate their enthusiasm for being part of these interdisciplinary and impactful teams with a willingness to contribute to the wider life of the Centres.
Student eligibility
This opportunity is open to UK and EU candidates
Contacts
Informal enquiries can be made to:
[Email Address Removed]
Please quote the reference FoBL-JR-2018-1
In the Application link (below), you will be brought to the PhD People and Performance subject area application form - please ensure that you choose the ‘PhD People and Performance Full Time September start 18/19’ option
How to Apply
The quickest and most efficient way to apply for this course is to apply online. This way, you can also track your application at each stage of the process.
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