Shadow Minister for Employment

The office of Shadow Minister for Employment is a position on the United Kingdom's Official Opposition frontbench, and has occasionally been a position in the Shadow Cabinet.

From 1970 to 1995, the duty of the office holder was to scrutinise the actions of the government's Secretary of State for Employment and develop alternative policies. From 1995, the office shadowed the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. In 2001, the office was replaced by that of Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after the creation of the Department for Work and Pensions.

In 2019, the office was reformed in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Minister for Labour; later renamed Secretary of State for Employment Rights and, in the Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer, Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights and Protections. The position was vacant after the resignation of Andy McDonald, who was replaced by Alison McGovern in the November 2021 reshuffle.

List of Shadow Secretaries for Employment
{| class="wikitable" ! colspan=7 |

Shadow Secretaries of State for Employment
! colspan=3 | Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Leader of the Opposition ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7 |
 * Barbara Castle
 * Mme Barbara Castle, Ministre britannique du développement outre-mer.jpg
 * 19 June 1970
 * 19 October 1971
 * Labour
 * rowspan=3 | Harold Wilson
 * James Callaghan
 * James Callaghan.JPG
 * 19 October 1971
 * 19 April 1972
 * Labour
 * Reg Prentice
 * 19 April 1972
 * 4 March 1974
 * Labour
 * Labour
 * William Whitelaw
 * 11 March 1974
 * 29 October 1974
 * Conservative
 * rowspan=2 | Edward Heath
 * rowspan=2 | Edward Heath
 * rowspan=2 | James Prior
 * rowspan=2 |
 * rowspan=2 | 29 October 1974
 * rowspan=2 | 4 May 1979
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative
 * Margaret Thatcher
 * Albert Booth
 * 4 May 1979
 * 14 July 1979
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 | James Callaghan
 * rowspan=2 | James Callaghan
 * rowspan=2 | Eric Varley
 * rowspan=2 |
 * rowspan=2 | 14 July 1979
 * rowspan=2 | 31 October 1983
 * rowspan=2 | Labour
 * Michael Foot
 * John Smith
 * 31 October 1983
 * 26 October 1984
 * Labour
 * rowspan=4 | Neil Kinnock
 * rowspan=4 | Neil Kinnock
 * John Prescott
 * John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg
 * 26 October 1984
 * 13 July 1987
 * Labour
 * Michael Meacher
 * Michael Meacher MP.jpg
 * 13 July 1987
 * 2 November 1989
 * Labour
 * Tony Blair
 * WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNUAL MEETING 2009 - Tony Blair.jpg
 * 2 November 1989
 * 18 July 1992
 * Labour
 * Frank Dobson
 * Frank Dobson MP, crop.jpg
 * 18 July 1992
 * 21 October 1993
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 | John Smith
 * John Prescott
 * John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg
 * 21 October 1993
 * 20 October 1994
 * Labour
 * Harriet Harman
 * Harriet Harman.jpg
 * 20 October 1994
 * 19 October 1995
 * Labour
 * Tony Blair

Shadow Secretaries of State for Education and Employment
! colspan=3 | Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Leader of the Opposition ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7 |
 * David Blunkett
 * David Blunkett -8April2010.jpg
 * 19 October 1995
 * 2 May 1997
 * Labour
 * Tony Blair
 * Gillian Shephard
 * Official portrait of Baroness Shephard of Northwold crop 2.jpg
 * 2 May 1997
 * 11 June 1997
 * Conservative
 * John Major
 * Stephen Dorrell
 * [[File:Stephen dorrell mp -nhs confederation annual conferencepercent2c manchester-11july2011 - crop.jpg|60px]]
 * 11 June 1997
 * 15 June 1998
 * Conservative
 * rowspan=3 | William Hague
 * David Willetts
 * Rt Hon David Willetts MP.jpg
 * 1 June 1998
 * 15 June 1999
 * Conservative
 * Theresa May
 * Theresa May - Home Secretary and minister for women and equality.jpg
 * 15 June 1999
 * 18 September 2001
 * Conservative

Shadow Ministers for Labour
! colspan=3 | Shadow Minister ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Leader of the Opposition ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7 |
 * Jack Dromey
 * Official portrait of Jack Dromey MP crop 2.jpg
 * 10 October 2016
 * 12 January 2018
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 | Jeremy Corbyn
 * Laura Pidcock
 * Official portrait of Laura Pidcock crop 2.jpg
 * 12 January 2018
 * 10 September 2019
 * Labour

Shadow Secretaries of State for Employment Rights
! colspan=3 | Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Leader of the Opposition ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7 |
 * Laura Pidcock
 * Official portrait of Laura Pidcock crop 2.jpg
 * 10 September 2019
 * 12 December 2019
 * Labour
 * rowspan=2 | Jeremy Corbyn
 * Rachael Maskell
 * Official portrait of Rachael Maskell MP crop 2.jpg
 * 7 January 2020
 * 6 April 2020
 * Labour

Shadow Secretaries of State for Employment Rights and Protections
! colspan=3 | Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Leader of the Opposition ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7 |
 * Andy McDonald
 * Official portrait of Andy McDonald MP crop 2.jpg
 * 6 April 2020
 * 27 September 2021
 * Labour
 * Keir Starmer

Shadow Ministers for Employment
! colspan=3 | Shadow Minister ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Leader of the Opposition ! style="background-color: " |
 * Alison McGovern
 * Official portrait of Alison McGovern MP crop 2.jpg
 * 4 December 2021
 * Incumbent
 * Labour
 * Keir Starmer
 * }