The Employment Research Institute (ERI)

The Employment Research Institute (ERI) is part of the Business School at Edinburgh Napier University . Established in 1997, the ERI has a reputation for rigorous, independent, and interdisciplinary research. The three main areas that the ERI’s research expertise covers are employment and employability; local economic development and entrepreneurship; and equality issues. The ERI’s multidisciplinary staff have backgrounds in policy analysis, sociology, economics, econometrics and social statistics. The ERI’s staff also have expertise on a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Most of the ERI’s work is for local/national/EU government, private sector employers and third sector bodies. Funders of ERI research have included amongst others: the European Commission; the Equality Commission Northern Ireland; the UK Commission for Employment and Skills; and the Scottish Government. Recent research carried out by the ERI include: a 10 nation study for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Northern Ireland, on participation, activity rates and inward investment; and ‘LOCALISE’, a European Commission Framework Seven Programme funded project on local social and employment services (2011-2014).