Claim: A million people are on a zero hours contract
Key quote: “One million people [are] on zero hour contracts.” Ian Lavery MP, 9 May 2017
Analysis: The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 2.8% of all people in employment in the UK say they are on a zero hours contract—around 900,000 people.
This is 13% higher than the same period last year. But it’s very difficult to tell whether this rise reflects an actual increase in the number of people on zero hours contracts.
Notably, the statistical increase in the number of people who say they’re on a zero hours contract this year, compared to last, comes from people who say they’ve been in their job for more than a year. In other words, people who could have been picked up in last year’s figures but weren’t.
This suggests people may have failed to report or acknowledge that they were on a zero hours contract in previous surveys. Or they may have changed contract.
The ONS says that “in recent years, increases in the number of people reporting... that they were on a zero-hour contract were likely to have been affected by greater awareness and recognition of the term”.
Mr Lavery may have been thinking of the number of contracts that don’t guarantee any hours. There were an estimated 1.3 to 2.2 million contracts that didn’t guarantee any hours in 2015, or 6% of all contracts. Figures for 2016 are due to be released later this week.
Verdict: The ONS Labour Force Survey shows that about 900,000 people report being on a zero hours contract.
Full Fact is the UK's independent fact-checking organisation. For sources and more fact checks go to fullfact.org
