Living standards HELP for America’s struggling middle class? 9 June 2011 by Sophia Parker Last month, Tom Harkin, one of the Democrat giants of the Senate and Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, convened the first of several meetings to examine why the American Dream appears to be ever harder to reach, even for those who – in Clinton’s words – ‘work hard and play by the … Continued READ MORE
Housing Homeownership is history. Housing policy should cash in on the private rented sector 8 June 2011 by Vidhya Alakeson Karen and Darren are much like other parents in their mid-30s; juggling work and the needs of four children. With two decent salaries from full-time, skilled jobs and help from tax credits and child benefit, they should be comfortably off. But at the end of each month, there is nothing left. Despite their best efforts … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances The growing need for a policy response to the ‘new inflation’ 1 June 2011 by James Plunkett There’s been much debate on these pages about the political implications of higher inflation. Ironically, this morning’s news of record food prices could relieve the pressure on the Bank of England Governor. His argument for caution when it comes to a rate rise is based on the claim that UK inflation is now being driven by events … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Why GDP growth does not mean recovery for everyone 27 May 2011 by James Plunkett It’s fairly widely assumed that the outcome of the next election will pivot on the strength — or otherwise — of Britain’s economic recovery. But what kind of recovery are we seeking? The perceived wisdom suggests that the key figure to look out for is strong and sustained GDP growth. Other stats — like those … Continued READ MORE
Living standards Why the ‘squeezed middle’ is here to stay 22 May 2011 by Gavin Kelly Sitting in their living room in Mansfield, Karen and Darren put on a brave face about the future. They are phlegmatic about their situation – they know they are doing better than many others. Both work full time, Karen for a children‘s centre and Darren for a software company, each earning a bit less than the … Continued READ MORE
Living standards Obama’s trillion dollar question 18 May 2011 by Sophia Parker It was only a month ago that America narrowly escaped a Federal government shutdown, caused by the intense difficulties of reaching a consensus on the 2011 budget. But if that skirmish seemed significant, it is nothing compared to the battle that is erupting between Democrats and Republicans over Obama’s 2012 budget proposals, and his accompanying plans … Continued READ MORE
Labour market Making pay work: can the living wage provide a comprehensive route to improving living standards? 9 May 2011 by Matthew Whittaker Earlier this month, the living wage campaign celebrated its ten year anniversary with a gathering of two and half thousand supporters in central London. It is an important time for the movement, as it seeks to significantly extend the scope of the living wage by targeting major low-wage employers. Achieving this ambition is likely to raise new … Continued READ MORE
Housing Will squeezed households really borrow more to prop up living standards? 4 May 2011 by Gavin Kelly and Matthew Whittaker What are we to make of different views on the extent to which growing household debt will offset the squeeze in living standards in the coming years? The independent Office for Budget Responsibility caused a bit of a stir at the time of the Budget when it suggested that household debt is set to rise over the … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Think the cuts are biting? The pain has hardly begun 25 April 2011 by Gavin Kelly Buoyed by a run of bank holidays and balmy weather, optimistic families may think that, having absorbed the changes announced in April’s Budget, the worst is behind them. Sadly, that is a false hope. Plenty more pain is in the pipeline. To see why, just look at what is coming in terms of cuts, wages, … Continued READ MORE
Labour market Flat, and falling, Prospect 20 April 2011 by Gavin Kelly How much did your parents earn when they were your age? Unless you buck the trend, the answer is less than you earn. But now, for the first time in decades, it’s not clear if the same will apply to your children. From the US to Germany, living standards for typical households had stopped rising … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances The week when the numbers become reality 4 April 2011 by Gavin Kelly With the Budget behind us and the new financial year starting on Wednesday, it is a timely moment to take stock of the prospects of those living on low-to-middle incomes. To do that we need to consider the combined impact of stagnant wages, rising prices, reduced tax-credits and benefits from the June 2010 Budget – … Continued READ MORE
Living standards Digging beneath the figures on household disposable income 1 April 2011 by Lee Savage Figures released earlier this week by the Office for National Statistics showed that total real disposable incomes have fallen in the UK for the first time in thirty years. But behind those headline figures, if we instead look at disposable income per head, there’s an interesting story about the performance of different regions across the country. In … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Trouble ahead at the Treasury, New Statesman 28 March 2011 by Gavin Kelly For many politicians, tax cuts are the elixir of politics. In times of plenty they are deployed triumphantly as evidence of a thriving economy; in times of hardship they are handed down by chancellors as a salve to a hard-pressed public. So it should come as no surprise that, even in this parliament – dominated … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Tough news for living standards from the OBR 24 March 2011 by James Plunkett Yesterday’s budget had been pre-billed as a boost to living standards, and in particular as targeting the ‘squeezed middle’. Of course, for most in the group this was always going to be small beer in comparison to the impacts from last year’s Spending Review and emergency budget. But overall, did yesterday bring good or bad … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Osborne the reformer is an unfinished work 24 March 2011 by James Plunkett One interesting aspect of today’s Budget is the government’s change of tack on personal allowances. Back in June 2010, when the Chancellor committed to raise allowances from £6,475 to £7,475, he chose to cancel out the gains for higher rate taxpayers by lowering the level at which the 40p tax rate kicks in. The idea … Continued READ MORE
Living standards Politicians have not solved the living standards crisis 24 March 2011 Stand back from the detail of today’s Budget and what we observe is Britain’s political class trying – and failing – to respond to the crisis in living standards facing Britain. They are doing this at the same time as they, of course, seek to outmanoeuvre their political opponents and build support among their friends. … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances There is no single inflation rate 23 March 2011 by Matthew Whittaker In December we had the wrong type of snow. Now it’s the wrong type of inflation, with the chancellor blaming bad borrowing figures on the type of price rises now hitting the UK economy. For consumers that all raises a basic question: what does it mean to say there’s more than one type of inflation, and is … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Spiralling inflation continues to squeeze some more than others 22 March 2011 by Matthew Whittaker The February inflation figures spell more bad news for living standards in the UK. With average weekly earnings growth standing at just 2.2 per cent, millions of workers continue to get poorer in real terms. However, differences in the make-up of typical “shopping baskets” mean that the spending implications of inflation vary by income group. Since 2007, … Continued READ MORE
Welfare Wake-up call on childcare 17 March 2011 by Vidhya Alakeson Speaking at the Liberal Democrat’s Spring Conference, Nick Clegg once again took up the cause of hard working families in Britain – his ‘alarm clock Britain’, the people who want to get up and get on. But changes to the childcare tax credit announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review and due to come in this … Continued READ MORE
Living standards It’s not all bad news on social mobility 1 March 2011 by Gavin Kelly We all know the usual story on social mobility. It’s been falling steadily for ages and continued to fall during the Labour years. Plenty of politicians, journalists and pundits will line up to tell anyone willing to listen that things have got worse. It sounds like a compelling story – the problem is, it’s not … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Three charts that complicate a simple focus on growth 28 February 2011 by James Plunkett [Extract] GDP growth figures have become the barometer of choice for commentators trying to tell the political weather – a good measure of how the public will eventually fall in the faceoff between Osborne and Balls. The story goes that a return to sustained growth will mean a return to rising living standards. That means … Continued READ MORE
Living standards Sitting in the middle 28 February 2011 by James Plunkett Yesterday at the Resolution Foundation we launched a wide-ranging investigation into the pressures now facing low-to-middle earners. The Commission on Living Standards will focus on the long-term economic trends that are changing the reality of life for those on low-to-middle incomes in Britain, writes James Plunkett It will bring together leading thinkers, from major employers … Continued READ MORE
Living standards Wanted: a new purpose for British capitalism 18 February 2011 by Gavin Kelly If this year’s question is “When will growth resume?”, next year’s will surely be “How do we make sure that growth benefits the great majority of working people?”. For much of the 20th century, that second question would not have been necessary. The link between growth and living standards held strong — it was the … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Time to think again about the way we measure inflation? 16 February 2011 by Matthew Whittaker As was widely expected, annual inflation increased again last month. A combination of the VAT rise and higher oil prices helped push CPI from 3.7% in December to 4% in January – twice the government’s official target of 2 per cent. The wider RPI measure also increased, from 4.8% to 5.1%. There is, however, a big question over … Continued READ MORE
Economy and public finances Low-to-middle earners to bear brunt of latest prescription price increase 10 February 2011 by Matthew Whittaker Despite the passing of legislation in the Scottish Parliament to remove prescription charges north of the border and pressure from the British Medical Association to follow suit in England (prescriptions are already free in Wales and Northern Ireland), the government announced last week that the cost of prescriptions will rise by 20p to £7.40 per item from April 1st. … Continued READ MORE
