Research from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has shown that UK workers facing increased job and financial insecurity at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic have suffered increased mental distress.
The research used data from the Understanding Society COVID-19 survey, linked to data from earlier waves, allowing them to compare mental health scores from 2016-19 with 2020.
In April, rates of mental distress among employees were 60% higher than they were before the pandemic, with significant increases both for employees who were furloughed and those who continued at work.
In May, furloughed workers were almost three times more likely to feel insecure in their jobs (27%) than non-furloughed workers (10%) and twice as likely to report financial insecurity (22% compared with 11%).
However, furlough reduced the mental health impact for people in insecure work. In May, furloughed employees in insecure jobs were less likely to experience significant mental distress than their counterparts who continued at work.
Dr Neil Smith, Head of Evaluation and Analysis at NatCen, said: “Our analysis makes clear that the benefits of the furlough scheme were greatest for those most vulnerable to economic uncertainty at the onset of the pandemic, with the scheme likely conferring a degree of reassurance and diminished levels of stress usually associated with insecurity.
“Mental distress appears to have increased for most workers regardless of this help, but people in insecure jobs who continued at work experienced the greatest increase. Employers and policymakers should consider the impact that insecure employment and low pay can have on the wellbeing of the workforce during this pandemic.”
This research is part of a project at NatCen to investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s mental health and financial situation, and how this differs among different groups of the UK population.
Find out more about the project
Covid 19EmploymentHealth and wellbeingIncome and expenditure
