Staff profiles
Professor Steve Fothergill
MA, BPhil
Phone 0114 225 3073
Steve Fothergill has been a professor within CRESR since 1992. An economist by background, he is an experienced researcher with a track record extending back more than thirty years at a number of academic institutions and a national and international reputation.
Most of Steve's work has been within the field of urban and regional development, particularly in the UK context, including studies of cities, rural areas, coalfields and seaside towns. Over the last decade his work (with Christina Beatty) on hidden unemployment and incapacity benefits has proved particularly influential. He has led numerous research projects for a wide range of clients, and is the author or co-author of five books and more than 100 articles and reports. He has worked closely with government, MPs, the EU and local authorities.
Outside academia, Steve Fothergill is the director of the Industrial Communities Alliance, the association of local authorities in Britain's traditional industrial areas, in which capacity he leads the lobbying for economic, social and environmental regeneration. For many years previously, he was director of the Coalfield Communities Campaign, and played a key role in the regeneration of Britain's former mining areas.
Research interests
Steve's research interests include
- urban and regional economic analysis
- regional policy
- business and industry
- Europe
- labour markets
- joblessness
- local area studies
- energy policy
- benefits system
- regeneration
- tourism
Recent research projects
2011 The statistical bias against unitary counties, Durham County Council.
2010–2011 Living in caravans, East Lindsey District Council.
2010–2011 Tackling worklessness in Britain's weaker local economies, National Worklessness Forum and local partners.
2009–10 The British seaside tourist industry, British Resorts and Destinations Association (BRADA) and local partners.
2009-10 England's smaller seaside towns, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Communities and Local Government (CLG) and Commission for Rural Communities (CRC).
2009 Sheffield worklessness study, Sheffield City Council.
2009 Seaside towns in Wales, Visit Wales/Welsh Assembly Government.
2008–2009 DLA claimants: a new assessment, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
2008 England's seaside towns: a benchmarking study, CLG.
2006–2008 Women on incapacity benefits, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Selected reports (2001 onwards)
Crisp, R., Fothergill, S., Gore, T. and Platts-Fowler, D. (2009) Sheffield Worklessness Study: The characteristics, aspirations and skill needs of Incapacity Benefit claimants and Lone Parents on benefit.. Published by CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S. and Powell, R. with Scott, S. (2011) The Caravan Communities of the Lincolnshire Coast (PDF 298KB). Sheffield: CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University.
Beatty, C. and Fothergill, S. (2011) Tackling Worklessness in Wales. Sheffield: CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S. and Wilson, I. (2011) England's Smaller Seaside Towns: a benchmarking study. London: CLG.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Gore, T. and Powell, R. (2010) Tackling Worklessness in Britain's Weaker Local Economies. Sheffield: CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Gore, T. and Wilson, I. (2010) The Seaside Tourist Industry in England and Wales: employment, economic output, location and trends. Sheffield: CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Houston, D., Powell, R. and Sissons, P. (2009) Women on Incapacity Benefits. Sheffield: CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S. and Platts-Fowler, D. (2009) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Claimants: a new assessment. London: DWP.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S. and Wilson, I. (2008) England's Seaside Towns: a benchmarking study. London: CLG.
Beatty, S., Fothergill, S. et al. (2007, 2008) Incapacity Benefit case studies (eight local reports). Sheffield, CRESR.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Gore, T. and Powell, R. (2007) The Real Level of Unemployment 2007. Sheffield, CRESR.
Fothergill, S. (2006) Not the Green Paper: the reform of Incapacity Benefit.
Gore, T., Fothergill, S. et al. (2007) Coalfields and their neighbouring cities. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Beatty, C. and Fothergill, S. (2003) The Seaside Economy. Sheffield, CRESR.
Alcock, P., Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Macmillan, R. and Yeandle, S. (2003) Work to Welfare: How men become detached from the labour market. Cambridge University Press.
Journal articles
Beatty, C. and Fothergill, S. (2011 forthcoming) Prospects for worklessness in Britain's weaker local economies. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Houston, D. and Powell, R. (2010) Bringing Incpacity Benefit numbers down: to what extent do women need a different approach? Policy Studies, 32, pp. 143-162.
Beatty, C., Fothergill, S., Houston, D., Powell, R. and Sissons, P. (2009) A gendered theory of employment, unemployment and sickness. Environment and Planning C, 27, pp. 958-974.
Fothergill, S. and Wilson, I. (2007) A million off Incapacity Benefit: how achievable is Labour's target. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 31, pp. 1007-1024.
Beatty, C. and Fothergill, S., and Powell, R. (2006) Twenty years on: has the economy of the UK coalfields recovered. Environment and Planning A, 39, pp. 1654-1675.
Beatty, C. and Fothergill, S. (2005) The diversion from 'unemployment' to 'sickness' across British regions and districts. Regional Studies, 39, pp. 837-854.
Fothergill, S. (2005) A new regional policy for Britain. Regional Studies, 39 (5), pp. 659-667.
Beatty, C. and Fothergill, S. (2004) Economic change and the labour market in Britain's seaside towns. Regional Studies, 38, pp. 461-480.
