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‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK

McBride, J.; Smith, A.; Mbala, M.

‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK Thumbnail


Authors

A. Smith

M. Mbala



Abstract

Set in the context of the recent unprecedented upsurge of in-work poverty (IWP) in the UK – which currently exceeds out of work poverty – this article presents an account of the realities of experiencing poverty and being employed. Central issues of low-pay, limited working hours, underemployment and constrained employment opportunities combine to generate severe financial complexities and challenges. This testimony, taken comparatively over a year, reveals the experiences of, not only IWP, but of deep poverty, and of having insufficient wages to fulfil the basic essentials of nourishing food and adequate clothing. This article contributes to current academic and social policy debates around low-paid work, IWP, the use of foodbanks and underemployment. New dimensions are offered regarding worker vulnerabilities, given the recent growth of the IWP phenomenon.

Citation

McBride, J., Smith, A., & Mbala, M. (2018). ‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK. Work, Employment and Society, 32(1), 210-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017017728614

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 7, 2017
Online Publication Date Oct 17, 2017
Publication Date Feb 1, 2018
Deposit Date Jun 19, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Work, Employment and Society
Print ISSN 0950-0170
Electronic ISSN 1469-8722
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 32
Issue 1
Pages 210-218
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017017728614
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1328531
Related Public URLs https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/229256

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Copyright Statement
McBride, Jo, Smith, Andrew & Mbala, Marcell (2018). ‘You End Up with Nothing’ The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK. Work, Employment and Society 32(1): 210-218. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.




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