Katy Jones

Dr. Katy Jones is a Reader in Employment and Head of the Decent Work and Productivity Research Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University's Business School within the People and Performance department. Her academic career bridges rigorous research with tangible policy impact, focusing on the intersection of welfare systems and labor market dynamics.

Her educational background includes a BA in Economics and Politics from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Social Policy Research from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a PhD in Educational Research from Lancaster University. This multidisciplinary foundation informs her approach to complex employment issues.

Dr. Jones' research centers on support systems for individuals entering and progressing in work, with particular emphasis on active labor market policies and vocational education. Her work examines job quality, employment support mechanisms, welfare conditionality frameworks, and vocational training effectiveness, especially for those facing significant labor market disadvantages. She investigates how policy interventions affect vulnerable populations including veterans, homeless individuals, and people with mental health challenges.

Her scholarly contributions reveal consistent focus on the tension between welfare conditionality requirements and meaningful employment outcomes. Recent work explores employer perspectives on in-work conditionality, the experiences of military veterans transitioning to civilian employment, and the complex relationship between housing stability and job quality.

• Fellow of the Institute of Employability Professionals
• Member of ESRC Peer Review college
• Serves on editorial board of Social Policy and Society
• Member of Social Policy Association's Employment Policy Group
• Part of Metropolis think tank management team at Manchester Met

Dr. Jones actively supervises doctoral research on trade unions and welfare reform, veterans' employment, and housing-job quality relationships. She leads significant research projects including Universal Credit, Good Work and Progression (Nuffield Foundation) and Universal Credit and Employers (ESRC grant ES/V004093/1). Her work demonstrates strong collaboration with policy organizations including the Growth Company's Progression to Inclusive Employment Advisory Panel and the Centre for Employability Excellence's Advisory Group. Previously, she held research positions at The Work Foundation and the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit at University of Salford.