The UK is right down at the foot of the job security league, according to a new TUC report looking at the globalisation debate published ahead of this week’s G8 summit.

Figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development show that UK workers are some of the most concerned about their job security but the TUC report says globalisation is not to blame. Instead, the TUC says domestic factors like the economic cycle and the level of employment regulation plays a far greater role in determining job security.

The unique insecurity felt by UK workers is underlined by the UK’s poor performance even after achieving a big increase in job security from the previous survey in 1996 when an astonishing 53% of workers said they were unsure of their job. The change in government and economic success across much of the economy has improved job security, but the high level of perceived insecurity shows that people at work in Britain know they are easier and cheaper to sack than in many competitors. In contrast both Japan and Korea have had severe economic difficulties in recent years.

TUC General Secretary John Monks, said: “Our report explodes myths about globalisation. One myth is that it makes jobs insecure in developed countries, or that insecurity is a price that must be paid for economic growth. Yet the figures do not bear this out. There are big differences between comparable countries. And this can only be due to differences in employment rights, culture and comparative economic performance. UK workers are more secure than they were in 1996 even though globalisation has increased.”