My research explores labour market inequalities in the UK and how these are shaped by government and employer policies and practices, with a particular focus on experiences of low-wage work and the design of activation and employment support policies.

I joined the University of Manchester in 2016, initially acting as the main researcher within the Inclusive Growth Analysis Unit (2016-2019) which was established with funding from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the University with the aim of helping to make poverty reduction more central in discussions of economic growth and devolution in Greater Manchester and other cities.

Currently I am researching:

1. The emerging conceptualisation of inclusive growth within the UK (e.g. Hughes & Lupton 2021; Crisp et al. 2023; O-Connor et al. 2023; Lee et al. 2014)
2. The potential and limitations of pursuing a ‘good work’ agenda at local-level (Johnson et al. 2022; Hughes et al. 2017, Lupton et al. 2018);
3. Work-related conditionality and how it affects people's bargaining power and working time opportunities, see Hughes (2024).

I previously worked at the New Policy Institute and the Work Foundation where I contributed to and led research on the interaction between poverty and informal caring, youth unemployment, the role of employers in tackling poverty, and the impacts of social security reforms.