"Human capital, in terms of skills and qualifications, is widely recognised to have a major impact on an individual's bility to gain employment or progress within the workplace. In recent years there has been an increased awareness that social capital, defined in terms of trust, social networks and group participation, can assist individuals to gain employment or progress within the workplace.ONS has recently developed a framework for measuring social capital in the UK and is incorporating harmonised questions in the 2004/05 General Household Survey, although these do not relate directly to the labour market. As part of the broader ONS study, a review has recently been undertaken of social capital-related studies in the UK and in other countries which have relevance to the UK labour market. The article discusses their findings in order to raise awareness of the potential influence of social capital in the workplace.Studies undertaken in other countries indicate that social capital can be a positive asset in assisting those seeking work and in particular disadvantaged groups, or for those in employment to progress within the workplace. However, it also needs to be recognised that social capital can also be a negative characteristic and may disadvantage some groups within society in general or individuals within an organisation. Investigating further the influence of social capital within the UK labour market could contribute to understanding how disadvantaged groups can be helped to participate more in the workforce."

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