Stephen Evans
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stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans
@stephenevans.bsky.social
1.2K followers 380 following 610 posts

Chief Executive, Learning and Work Institute.
Ex HMT, SMF and London government.
Learning, skills, labour markets & public policy.
Views my own.

Videos
Materials science 21%
Communication & Media Studies 14%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 3d
The 11th and penultimate day of #12DaysofLW is on our work on the Youth Guarantee.

Following our long-standing call for a Youth Guarantee, this year we have produced a series of reports exploring how it can be successful implemented. ✅

Read the reports: learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 4d
We're #hiring! 👋

Interested in gaining insight into and contributing to L&W’s high-impact research, policy, and campaigning activity?

Apply for our Research Intern position by Sunday 4 January. ⬇️✍️
Research Intern - Learning and Work Institute
learningandwork.org.uk

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 4d
For Day 10 of #12DaysofLW, we're reflecting on our work with Pearson this year on the use of occupational standards in the UK. 🔍

✍️ Read our new article by L&W's @stephenevans.bsky.social and Pearson's Donna Ford-Clarke on the findings: learningandwork.org.uk/news-and-pol...

Reposted by Stephen Evans

pollymackenzie.bsky.social
Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 7d
"Every time I pull a lever" says the Prime Minister.

This dead metaphor is killing his ability to get things done.

There aren't any levers. There's only leadership.

howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/there-aren...
There aren't any levers
A dead metaphor is killing the government's ability to get things done
howtorunacountry.substack.com

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 10d
Here's one of my favourite charts from our briefing. You can see the labour market cooling through both falling vacancies (one measure of demand) & rising numbers out of work but wanting a job (recently driven by rising unemployment). Not going off a cliff, but worrying trends.

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 10d
"Young people, with over one million not in work or full-time education, are among those most affected, and retail and hospitality have shed 129k payroll jobs in a year."

Check out L&W chief exec @stephenevans.bsky.social's comment on today's labour market stats in @fenews.bsky.social. ⬇️
ONS Labour Market: December 2025 - Unemployment At 5.1%, The Highest Level For Almost Five Years | FE News
| ONS Labour Market: December 2025 - Unemployment At 5.1%, The Highest Level For Almost Five Years
www.fenews.co.uk

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 10d
Read L&W chief exec @stephenevans.bsky.social's comment on today's labour market stats in @theguardian.com business live. ⬇️🗞️
UK private sector growth picks up as optimism rises after budget, but jobless rate hits four-year high – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
www.theguardian.com

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 10d
4. Bonus chart of annual private sector earnings growth excluding bonuses (non seasonally adjusted). Reminder that c3% is consistent with the Bank's inflation target over time if productivity trend growth is 1% as OBR assumes. So 3.4% heading there & trending down.

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 10d
3. Economic inactivity rate, now estimated 0.7pp (300k people) above pre-pandemic levels, is one thing. But composition of reasons for economic inactivity has changed a lot. In short, huge rise in people saying LT sickness is their reason for economic inactivity.

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 10d
Good news: more people are looking for work (economic inactivity down, unemployment up). Bad news: it’s getting tougher to find work.

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 10d
Sign up to receive our full briefing later today: learningandwork.org.uk/supporter-ne... 🔗

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 10d
"We need a twin approach of providing more help to find work and creating the conditions for employers to create jobs."

✍️ L&W Chief Executive @stephenevans.bsky.social responds to the labour market statistics released by ONS today.
Labour market analysis, 16 December 2025
Learning and Work Institute's response to the labour market stats for December 2025, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
learningandwork.org.uk

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 10d
2. Over 1m 16-24s are not in work or FT education. Not going up especially, but stuck at an elevated level. Taken together, suggests a twin approach needed so more people get help to look for work & improving conditions for employers to create jobs.

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 10d
Some worry signs in the labour market. Payroll jobs & employment heading down, with relatively large falls for retail & hospitality. Unemployment at its highest since the pandemic, partly reflecting more people looking for work (inactivity down) but suggesting they're struggling to find jobs.

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 11d
Day 5️⃣ of #12DaysofLW reflects on our reports for the Commission for #HealthierWorkingLives. 📑

L&W, @employmentstudies.bsky.social and @rsph.bsky.social have worked in partnership to inform the commission led by @healthfoundation.bsky.social.

Read the reports: learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 14d
Good piece that's worth reading. Though worth noting they argue only 13% of the rise in disability benefit claims is due to cuts to other benefits. Substantial, but does leave 87%!
theifs.bsky.social The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 14d
NEW: Cuts to non-health-related benefits caused increases in disability benefit claims, our new report finds.

📗 Jonathan Cribb, @heidikarj.bsky.social, @eduinlatimer.bsky.social, Sam Ray-Chaudhuri and Tom Waters examine the impact of four cuts to benefits in the 2010s [THREAD:🧵]:

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 14d
📑 Explore our report 'The Youth Guarantee and the benefits system' to find out more about the young people who risk missing out on support: learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...
The Youth Guarantee and the benefits system - Learning and Work Institute
learningandwork.org.uk

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 14d
“It's urgent we ensure the other three in four NEETs don’t miss out on help.”

In @peoplemanagement.bsky.social, @stephenevans.bsky.social calls the Government's Youth Guarantee a 'positive step' but highlights support being targeted at the one in four NEETs already receiving help from job centres.
UK economy losing £26bn a year to youth unemployment, PwC research finds
Britain has seen sharpest rise in the rate of jobless young people of all G7 countries
www.peoplemanagement.co.uk

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 14d
For Day 4️⃣ of #12DaysofLW, we're looking back on #AmbitionSkills. 🚀

This programme of work, supported by City & Guilds and NOCN, makes the case for a higher skills ambition.

The final report finds achieving world-class skills could boost the economy by £22bn: learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 14d
“At a time when economic inactivity is a pressing concern, any decision to reduce funding to help groups with more complex barriers into employment seems at odds with the govt’s aim to reach an 80% employment rate.”

🗨️⬇️ @samavanzowindett.bsky.social comments on UKSPF ending in @feweek.bsky.social.
Fewer share prosperity when UKSPF ends in March
Only the UK’s most deprived areas will benefit from a post-Brexit fund for local skills, projects – cutting hundreds of councils off
feweek.co.uk

Reposted by Stephen P. Jenkins, Stephen Evans, David D. Buck

theifs.bsky.social
The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 14d
NEW: Cuts to non-health-related benefits caused increases in disability benefit claims, our new report finds.

📗 Jonathan Cribb, @heidikarj.bsky.social, @eduinlatimer.bsky.social, Sam Ray-Chaudhuri and Tom Waters examine the impact of four cuts to benefits in the 2010s [THREAD:🧵]:

Reposted by Stephen Evans

louisemurphy.bsky.social
Louise Murphy @louisemurphy.bsky.social · 15d
Good news - DWP has finally published UC Health data, splitting out those who have migrated over from legacy benefits (ESA).

What does the data tell us?

ESA migration accounts for most of the rise in UC Health claims over the past year - but new claims explain more of the rise since the pandemic.

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 15d
It's Day 3️⃣ of #12DaysofLW... ⭐

...And we're shining a light on Adult Learners Week in Wales and our Inspire! Awards. These showcased the transformative impact of lifelong learning in Wales.

Explore the campaign and read our award winner stories: adultlearnersweek.wales

@learnworkcymru.bsky.social

Reposted by Stephen Evans

jackkessler.bsky.social
Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 15d
Productivity growth usually bounces back after an economic shock. The UK post-financial crisis? Not so much.

Some reflections on the OBR's report (the one that wasn't leaked), and why we've stopped getting richer.
Working harder, not smarter
20 years of weak productivity growth have left the UK economy running on fumes
www.linestotake.com

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 16d
Day 2️⃣ of #12DaysofLW is spotlighting JobsPlus!

This year JobsPlus has helped people into employment across England. L&W leads the pilot, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and by Youth Futures Foundation.

Find out more: learningandwork.org.uk/news-and-pol...

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 17d
Always enjoy the #12DaysofLW. Handy reminder of amount & breadth of work the team has done.
learnworkuk.bsky.social Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 17d
#12DaysofLW returns!

For 12 days, we'll be spotlighting some 2025 L&W highlights. ✨

For Day 1️⃣ we're celebrating launching our #GetTheNationLearning campaign – showing how when adults learn, our society and economy thrive – with over 140 supporters.

Join the movement: getthenationlearning.org.uk

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 17d
#12DaysofLW returns!

For 12 days, we'll be spotlighting some 2025 L&W highlights. ✨

For Day 1️⃣ we're celebrating launching our #GetTheNationLearning campaign – showing how when adults learn, our society and economy thrive – with over 140 supporters.

Join the movement: getthenationlearning.org.uk

Reposted by Stephen Evans

learnworkuk.bsky.social
Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 18d
L&W's Director of Policy and Research @emilyishness.bsky.social responds to the Government's expansion of opportunities for young people through the Youth Guarantee. 🗨️⬇️
Responding to the Government's announcement on the Youth Guarantee
learningandwork.org.uk

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 18d
industries I think, older people retiring from shrinking. That's less of an option with fewer young people & more older. So to get dynamism that involves structural change means more of a role for career change in future. Even new firms in existing sector might do things differently so skills need.

stephenevans.bsky.social
Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 18d
Sorry, yes, I wasn't clear. Was trying to say that with an aging population a rising % of sectoral change (diff to firm change I know) will need to come from people switching sectors. And that comes with a cost to people. E.g. RF showed prev structural change more from YP joining growing (cont)