Employed people in Brent now work fewer hours per week than most other places in the country, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). 

The 2021 census found that in the last 10 years, the borough has gone from having a good record of people working more than 15 hours a week - in the top 35 per cent of the country - to having one of the worst. It is now in the bottom 25pc. 

In 2011, 9.3pc of Brent residents aged 16 and over in employment worked 15 hours or fewer per week. 10 years later, that figure was 11.5pc. 

Cllr Eleanor Southwood, cabinet member for jobs, economy and citizen experience, highlighted the pandemic, the increase in childcare costs, and residents re-evaluating their work-life balance as reasons why some Brent residents are working fewer hours a week.  

She said: “We also know that people in Brent are experiencing insecure and irregular work. We’re actively encouraging employers to adopt the London mayor’s Good Work Standard: including paying a fair wage and providing good working conditions. In this way we will continue to support more secure and better paid jobs in our local economy.

“The council does not directly employ anyone on a zero-hours contract and encourage our contractors and agencies to phase out these unfair and unstable contracts, too.

"Brent has been paying the London Living Wage (LLW) since 2013. Brent Start is successfully equipping residents with new skills and Brent Works has a strong track record of matching our residents with local jobs.” 

A 2020 report by the Resolution Foundation thinktank found that Londoners work some of the longest hours in the UK. 

However, Brent has the highest unemployment rate in the capital. It also has London’s second-highest poverty rate at 36pc, which is 9pc higher than the London average and 14pc more than the average for England. 

Last year, 29.5pc of Brent residents were earning below the Living Wage. This is almost 10 percentage points higher than the average London borough. 

Cllr Southwood said: “We’re working with employers across the borough to increase job opportunities for residents who often experience barriers to employment, including disabled people. An economy that works for everyone is essential for creating a fairer and more equal Brent for all."