Ryan FowlerTUC analysis of labour market data has found that 4 million people were in insecure work in 2024, equivalent to one in eight of the UK workforce.
The figure has risen from 3.2 million in 2011, marking an increase of 800,000 over 14 years of Conservative-led governments.
The proportion of workers in insecure jobs grew from 10.7% in 2011 to 11.7% in 2024.
The research highlights the impact of insecure work on people’s lives, with short-notice changes making it difficult to manage household bills, plan commitments and meet caring responsibilities.
Insecure roles are typically low paid compared with permanent employment, leaving many workers struggling financially.
In 2024, the South West and Wales recorded the highest proportions of insecure workers at 13.5%.
Growth since 2011 has been concentrated in lower-paid sectors such as care, leisure, service and elementary occupations, which together accounted for three-quarters of the net increase.
The care sector is dominated by women, with pay in these industries falling significantly below the UK median of £17.03 an hour.
While overall men were slightly more likely than women to be in insecure work in 2024 (12.4% compared with 11.1%), women were more likely to be insecure employees on zero-hours, agency or casual contracts.
Low-paid self-employment, where men are overrepresented, accounted for much of the difference.
The data also shows a sharp rise among Black and Minority Ethnic workers. In 2024, 16.3% of BME workers were in insecure work compared with 10.8% of white workers.
The number of BME workers in insecure jobs increased from 360,000 in 2011 to 935,000 in 2024, accounting for more than two-thirds of net growth in insecure employment despite BME workers making up only 17% of the workforce. Nearly one in five BME men, or 18.9%, were in insecure jobs in 2024.
