The number of UK jobs offered on zero-hours contracts is 1.4m, according to the latest government figures, a far higher number than expected.
A snapshot survey of employers by the Office for National Statistics, taken from a two-week period between late January and early February, shows the trend for hiring staff without guaranteeing a minimum number of hours is more prevalent than initially thought.
Following an earlier survey of employees, the ONS had previously estimated that 583,000 people were employed on zero hours, suggesting that some people have more than one job on a zero-hours basis.
The TUC said the figures showed the UK jobs market was far more precarious than the government suggested, and urged ministers to crack down on the "abuse" of zero-hours contracts by employers.
"Insecure work with no guarantee of regular paid hours is no longer confined to the fringes of the jobs market," said Frances O'Grady, the TUC's general secretary. » | Angela Monaghan | Wednesday, April 30, 2014
