On the determinants of UK unemployment and the Great Recession: analysing the gross flows data

This article provides a detailed analysis of the gross worker flows data in the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2010, with particular emphasis on the 2008/2009 recession and its aftermath. Utilizing flows data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the dominant macroeconomic factors driving unemployment in the United Kingdom before, during and after the recessionary period are identified. Amongst the salient findings of this article is a striking decline in job-to-job movements throughout and beyond the recent recession. This discovery adds a new dimension to the existing literature in this field.