People On Zero-Hours Contracts Jumps To 1.8m

The number of people on zero-hours contracts has increased from 1.4m to 1.8m, new figures show.

In the last three months of 2014, 697,000 people said they were employed on the controversial contracts in their main job - an increase of 111,000 from the same period in the previous year.

The report from the Office for National Statistics found that a third of people on zero-hours contracts, which the unions claim are worth £300 a week less than permanent contracts, want more hours.

Under the contracts, which are more likely to affect women, young and immigrant workers, employees are basically on call with the employer offering no set hours.

Their increasing use in the wake of the recession has become a significant political issue, with Labour saying it would scrap them if it comes to power in May's election.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "Zero-hours contracts are valued by many employers and individuals who want flexibility in the hours they work, such as students, people with caring responsibilities and those who want to partially retire.

"However, historically there has also been some abuse in these types of contracts. That is why I am taking legislation through Parliament at the moment to ban exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts which prevent people looking for additional work to boost their income. We want to make sure that people who are on zero-hours contracts get a fair deal."

He suggested the reason for the increase in figures was that more people were becoming aware of the concept of the zero-hours clause.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said: "Ministers have watered down every person's rights at work and zero-hours contracts have gone from being a niche concept to becoming the norm in parts of our economy."

Conor D'Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: "The continued growth of zero-hours contracts during the recovery suggests that they are more than just a recession-related phenomenon. While many employers may have started to use zero-hours contracts during the downturn, it looks like most are sticking with them."