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20 A reduction in the proportion of working-age people living in workless households (Great Britain).
Baseline and trends: Baseline year –1997. The proportion of working-age people living in workless households fell from 13.3 per cent in 1997 to 11.5 per cent in 2006. In 2007 the labour force survey moved to calendar quarter data: the proportion of working-age people living in workless households in 2007 was 11.9 per cent.
Percentage of working-age people living in workless households (Great Britain)
Note The Labour Force Survey has been revised in line with Census 2001 population estimates. The 2007 figure is drawn from the Quarter 2 data, although the change in data measurement does not affect the trend
Definition: Proportion of working-age people living in working-age households where no one works. Working age is 16–59 for women and 16–64 for men. Workless individuals are those who are either International Labour Organisation unemployed or economically inactive (that is, not in employment).
Data source: Household Labour Force Survey, spring quarters and calendar quarters (Q2). In 2007 all data from the Labour Force Survey moved to calendar quarter basis (Quarter 2 data).
Further information:
Further information about the Labour Force Survey can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/ssd/surveys/labour_force_survey.asp
There has been a lot of academic work on the rise of the workless household, and possible drivers. Key studies include: www.essex.ac.uk/ilr/eeeg/Workshop4/GreggEtAl(provisional).pdf 
www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/CMPO/workingpapers/wp53.pdf
The Office for National Statistics publishes the Work and Worklessness amongst households twice per year, corresponding with the release of the Household level Labour Force Survey data. The most recent release can be found at: www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/wwhh0706.pdf
Research Evidence:
“Workless couples and partners of benefit claimants: A review of the evidence”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep262.pdf