The minimum wage has been successful in tackling extreme low pay. Yet despite increases to the wage floor in recent years, we have seen an increase in in-work poverty. The government has committed to increasing the minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over to two thirds of median earnings by 2024. Through doing so, it hopes to end low pay and reduce in-work poverty.

Learning and Work Institute has been working with Carnegie UK Trust to explore the future of the minimum wage. This final report in the programme examines the impact of the minimum wage over the last two decades, and the potential impact of the government’s plan to increase the wage floor on workers, employers and the economy.

The report sets out how a higher minimum wage can be delivered as part of a wider strategy to promote good work and tackle poverty.

Download the report

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Call to hike National Insurance threshold so bosses can boost workers’ low wages

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22 Medi 2026

Building an AI-ready workforce: Creating a skills system that prepares UK knowledge workers for the AI transition

Better work Lifelong learning Reports & briefings

AI has transformative potential for the UK economy and could present a net uplift to productivity of up to £80 billion by 2035. Yet the UK workforce does not – yet – have the skills to successfully adopt and scale AI technologies in a truly transformative way.

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22 Medi 2026

AI skills investment could add £80 billion to the UK economy

Better work Lifelong learning News & articles

The UK can secure an £80 billion boost to its economy by 2035 if the Government and businesses act together to strengthen the technical skills system, according to a major report published today by L&W and The Rigby Foundation.

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15 Medi 2026

Labour market dashboard

Better work Employment Young people Projects & campaigns

Every month, Learning and Work Institute produces detailed and timely analysis of the latest labour market statistics from ONS. Explore our interactive charts.

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7 Medi 2026

UK must make training the ‘go-to’ response to skills needs, or risk holding back growth, new report warns

Better work Lifelong learning News & articles

The Government’s plans to get the economy growing risk falling short unless it takes action to reverse sharp falls in the training employees get at work, new analysis warns.

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7 Medi 2026

Understanding employer investment in skills

Better work Lifelong learning Reports & briefings

This is the third and final report of our project funded by the Nuffield Foundation looking at employer investment in skills, and how employees are responding to the need to upskill and retrain in a transitioning economy.

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29 Mehefin 2026

What enables the effective design, delivery and evaluation of local work and health programmes?

Better work Employment Reports & briefings

This report presents findings from an evidence review on what enables the effective design, delivery and evaluation of local health and work programmes.

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29 Mehefin 2026

Scoping report: Labour Market Evidence Programme

Better work Employment Reports & briefings

This scoping report as part of the Labour Market Evidence programme provides a summary of the work undertaken by IES and L&W between October 2025 and March 2026 including user consultation. It summarises the evidence needs of local policy makers and sets out how these needs can be addressed.

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9 Mehefin 2026

Final report: Evaluation of the JobsPlus Pilot

Better work Employment Young people Reports & briefings

This evaluation of JobsPlus builds on the interim findings published in September 2025 to provide evidence on whether the model can be adapted to the UK context and effectively implemented to improve employment outcomes.  

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1 Ebrill 2026

Supporting the progression of low-income workers in Scotland

Better work Projects & campaigns

With funding from the Robertson Trust, Learning and Work Institute has been working in partnership with Edinburgh College to develop a pilot to support low-income workers in Scotland to progress into better jobs.

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