EFFECT OF ZERO-HOURS CONTRACTS ON WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

That this House recognises the increase in zero-hours contracts under the current Government's austerity measures; accepts the Office for National Statistics figures that show 750,000 people are on zero-hours contracts in the UK as of June 2015; acknowledges the financial constraints zero-hours contracts can put on working people who are offered an average of 10 hours less per week than set contracted workers; understands that women and young people are disproportionately affected by the trend towards zero-hours contracts, with women 25 per cent more likely than men and under-25s 2.5 times more likely to be offered no set hours in employment; and further recognises that the 35 per cent increase in 35 to 49 year olds on zero-hours contracts means financial instability for many families across the country.