The number of people employed on zero hours contracts has fallen to its lowest level since 2014, suggesting controversy over the contracts have caused a fall in their popularity.
Tuesday’s report from the Office for National Statistics shows that there were 1.4 million of the contracts in the three months to June, down from 1.7 million a year earlier.
The number of people working on these contracts also fell to 883,000, 20,000 less than the previous three month period.
The contracts have attracted controversy for not guaranteeing employees actual work, causing a lack of security for those needing a full-time job. However, others argue that the contracts offer the necessary flexibility for those wanting causal work, such as students or self-employed staff.
Senior ONS statistician David Freeman commented:
“In May this year there were 1.4 million employment contracts in use that didn’t guarantee minimum hours, down from a peak of 2.1 million two years previously.
“Coupled with figures we’ve already seen from the Labour Force Survey showing a small fall in the number of people who say they’re on zero-hours contracts, it seems possible that the trend towards this type of work has begun to unwind.”