The term originates from a report by the think tank Policy Exchange, entitled Overlooked but Decisive, which was published in June of 2015 and essentially described a certain sector of British society, made up of people who make up just half of the population. They work hard, however they also depend heavily on the government, so they use state schools and public services.
These voters were also described by the UK Prime Minister Theresa May, in the early days of her premiership, she adapted the definition in a speech to apply to families who feel like they work hard but still struggle financially.
"You have a job but you don't always have job security. You have your own home, but you worry about paying a mortgage. You can just about manage but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school," Prime Minister Theresa May said in a speech.
YouGov research can reveal that at least 37 percent of people describe themselves as "just about managing" financially. This means about 18.5 million British adults believe they are JAMs.
37% of the population self-identify as JAMs — i.e. those who are "just about managing" financially https://t.co/IUWeu6Mt4a pic.twitter.com/oSBYTz6PjU
— YouGov (@YouGov) December 1, 2016
Conservative voters, Labour voters and non-voters make up about a quarter of the JAMs population. UKIP voters make up a further 10 percent, the Lib Dems make up 7 percent and the Greens are 4 percent. All other parties account for 7 percent of the final figure.
However, despite the JAMs being a key part of the Conservative political strategy, they would not all consider voting for the Tories.
About 42 percent said they would vote for the Conservatives, while most JAMs would not vote for any of the main parties.
The majority of JAMs are in the C1/C2 social groups and have a household income of between £10,000-29,999 https://t.co/IUWeu6Mt4a pic.twitter.com/mTerP6E9yj
— YouGov (@YouGov) December 1, 2016
When we look at Brexit, there are equal number of JAMs in both the Remain and Leave camp. When we look at how much JAMs earn, at least 54 percent of them take home between US$12,000 and US$36,000 a year. Thirty-nine percent of them are aged between 25 and 49 years old.
The Prime Minister's speech also implied that JAMs are home owners, however from the survey it seems most of them are renters. Around 49 percent of private renters and 38 percent of social renters consider themselves to be just about managing.
It appears that a significant part of the UK society continues to be the 'squeezed middle', despite the government promises to make Britain 'a country that works for everyone'.
