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IELTS Writing Task 2 Work & Employment Topics: Questions & Ideas

Work and employment prompts show up constantly in Task 2 — remote work, job competition, salaries, career vs family, retirement age, skills training. When we mark these scripts, the weak ones usually do not fail because the student “knows nothing about jobs.” They fail because every body could fit any topic: Work is very important in modern society with no mechanism, no actor, and no answer to who should act — employees, employers, or governments.

Use this page as a topic bank: pick a question, outline in five minutes, write under time, then score. Precise collocations (job security, labour market, work–life balance) beat vague work is good/bad. Related theme banks: education topics · technology topics · health topics. Full Task 2 map: complete guide.

Last updated: August 14, 2026

On this page (question types, 15 prompts, vocabulary, sample outline, practice, FAQ)
  1. Common work and employment question types
  2. 15 practice questions
  3. Vocabulary and collocations
  4. Sample outline
  5. How to practise these prompts
  6. Questions students ask

Common work and employment question types

Task 2 is not one format. Work prompts still fall into the usual five groups: opinion, discussion, advantages/disadvantages, problem–solution, and two-part. Identify the type before you plan — wrong template is a fast Task Response leak.

TypeExample stem
OpinionShould companies allow employees to work from home permanently?
Discuss both viewsSome value job security; others prefer higher pay with less stability.
Advantages/disadvantagesDo the advantages of remote work outweigh the disadvantages?
Causes + solutionsWhy is youth unemployment high, and how can it be reduced?
Two-partWhy do people change careers more often today? Is this a positive trend?

Watch for who is responsible. Many work stems hinge on employees, employers, governments, or unions — answer the actors the prompt actually sets. For openings by type, see introduction paragraph examples. Structures: Task 2 structure & format.

I notice students get stuck when they treat every employment essay as “agree that work–life balance matters.” One timed draft on youth unemployment never named a concrete cause or a workable fix — only young people should try harder and the government should do more. After the outline forced skills mismatch + hiring filters against apprenticeships and targeted training, TR stopped looking unfinished.

15 practice questions

  1. Remote work has become common in many industries. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
  2. Some people believe job satisfaction is more important than a high salary. To what extent do you agree?
  3. Competition for good jobs is increasing. What are the causes and what can young people do to improve their prospects?
  4. Many employees struggle to balance career and family life. What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?
  5. Some argue that the retirement age should be raised as people live longer. Do you agree or disagree?
  6. Companies should invest more in skills training for staff. To what extent do you agree?
  7. Working from home reduces productivity. Do you agree or disagree?
  8. In some countries, the gap between high and low salaries is widening. Is this a positive or negative development?
  9. Some people prefer to stay in one job for life; others change careers frequently. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
  10. Unpaid internships exploit young workers. Do you agree or disagree?
  11. Governments should guarantee a minimum wage for all workers. To what extent do you agree?
  12. Automation is replacing many traditional jobs. What problems does this cause and how can they be addressed?
  13. Flexible working hours benefit employees more than employers. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
  14. Some believe women still face unfair barriers in the workplace. What are the causes and what measures can be taken?
  15. Job security is more important than career progression for most workers. To what extent do you agree?

Practice method: Choose one → five-minute outline → full timed essay → free essay checker. If Task Response is soft, check whether every part of the question got real space before you chase fancier nouns.

Vocabulary and collocations

Jobs & the labour market

Pay & conditions

Remote work & flexibility

Skills & careers

Policy verbs

Band 6 trap → clearer wording

Use new words only where they fit. Forced “advanced” vocabulary still lowers the score. Automation and remote-work prompts often overlap with the technology topics bank — reuse that wording when the stem is really about AI or digital tools. Skills and training prompts often sit next to education topics.

Sample outline

Question: Many employees struggle to balance career and family life. What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?

This is problem–solution — both halves required. You do not need I agree.

Map: Long hours and rigid schedules strain family relationships and health; employers and governments should expand flexible work and childcare support.

Body 1 — Problems

Body 2 — Solutions

Conclusion: Policy plus workplace culture — no new big idea.

Turn the outline into a full essay with structure templates. Check criteria against the band descriptors guide.

How to practise these prompts

Two or three scored essays beat seven unmarked ones. Between full essays, keep short mixed work in the same sitting — outline who acts, swap vague job words, rewrite one thin body — rather than a “vocab week” then an “essay week.” That habit matches Personalized Practice: Practices 1–15 mix drills; Practices 16–20 are timed essays; Practices 1–2 are free.

A simple loop for this bank:

  1. Pick question #1 or #4 (high-frequency themes)
  2. Write about 40 minutes, aim 280+ words
  3. Score TR / CC / LR / GRA on the free checker
  4. If TR is under 7, confirm you covered all parts (e.g. problems and solutions, or both views + opinion)
  5. Rewrite the weakest paragraph once — then rescore

Also useful: 20-practice study plan · other theme banks: environment topics · health topics.

Questions students ask

Do I need real employment statistics?

No. Examiners do not fact-check invented percentages. From the scripts I mark, many companies or in several countries usually looks cleaner than a fake “73%” that nobody can source.

Is work more common than education in Task 2?

Both appear frequently. Prep vocabulary for work, education, and technology together — the three theme banks overlap more than people expect.

Can I use my own job as an example?

Yes, if you keep it general and formal (In many workplaces…) rather than personal storytelling. I notice long “my office” anecdotes often waste word count without answering the stem.

What if my work essay sounds serious but scores low on TR?

I notice that pattern when the lean is vague (jobs are competitive nowadays) and the bodies never answer the exact demand — problems vs solutions, outweigh vs list-both, or who should act. Go back to the question stem, underline every part, then rebuild the outline before polishing collocations.

After you check your score

Most free tools stop at another band estimate. EssayGradeWise adds criterion drills inside a 20-practice plan (TR, CC, LR, GRA) so you practise the weak spot — not another full essay at random. If your checker TR is soft on work prompts, the next sitting should force a clear actor and equal space on every part of the stem.

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