Covid-19· Economy 2030 The office strikes back Can post-pandemic remote working solve our productivity challenge? Thursday 10 March 2022 Book launch for The Nowhere Office by Julia Hobsbawm. Office work has had a mixed reception in recent decades, aiding team work but accused of driving our stress up and productivity down. The onset of the pandemic has triggered a workplace revolution as remote working surged and employers learnt workers can be trusted to work … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Living standards New year, old pandemic Assessing the politics, economics and epidemiology of 2022 Thursday 13 January 2022 With Omicron cases the only thing rising faster than energy bills, 2022 is off to a difficult start. The pandemic and cost of living pressures will continue to dominate political and economic debates through 2022, but what that means for strains on the NHS and family budgets, or volatile GDP and poll ratings, is hugely … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Household debt· Pensions & savings· Wealth & assets Whose wealth? Assessing the full impact of the pandemic on household wealth Monday 12 July 2021 While the Covid-19 pandemic has been about curbing and contraction – from normal activities to employment – many aspects of household wealth have grown very swiftly. Families unable to spend have amassed extra savings and homeowners have seen the value of their properties soar. But these wealth surges have been far from even, with some … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Living standards· Labour market The final furlough? Family finances in the Covid recovery Thursday 1 July 2021 The UK economy is bouncing back after the deepest downturn in over three centuries. That bounce is being felt in the labour market too, with furlough rates falling and some firms even reporting challenges hiring. However, almost three million people are still not working, while unemployment may rise later in the year. While the UK’s … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Demographics· Intergenerational Centre Boomers and boomerangs The past and pandemic present of multi-generational living Monday 21 June 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has had huge impacts on young people. Many have been furloughed, while others have lost their job or been unable to find one in the first place. And everyone has heard stories about how coping with these difficulties has seen many young people return to live with their parents. So-called ‘boomerangs’, opting … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Fiscal policy· Macroeconomic policy Returning to centre stage Fiscal policy in the recovery Tuesday 1 June 2021 Fiscal policy has returned centre stage during the Covid-19 pandemic. But as countries begin to recovery from the crisis, they are taking different approaches to the scale of fiscal expansion and the timing of fiscal retrenchment. What is the right approach to fiscal policy in the recovery, and what are the challenges in terms of … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Economic growth Building back better Structural change in post-pandemic economies Thursday 27 May 2021 From the emptying of city centres and closure of entire industries, to the rapid growth in remote offices and new methods of work, the Covid-19 pandemic has fast-forwarded change in our economies. How much of this change is permanent, and what does it mean for how and where we live and work? How can policy … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Productivity & industrial strategy· Economic growth Powering ahead Raising our productivity game post-pandemic Wednesday 26 May 2021 The period between the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic has been marked by chronically weak productivity across many advanced economies. In the UK that has seen weak pay growth and stagnant living standards. The Covid recovery offers an opportunity to reset this dismal productivity record, but how should policy makers do this? In … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19 The Covid Recovery Overcoming the Economic Challenges Monday 24 May 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over. But the roll-out of vaccines across the world holds out the promise that the Covid recovery, while not assured, is in sight. Due to the nature and scale of the crisis – which has upended everything from household working trends to government deficits – this means the Covid … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Labour market· Wellbeing and mental health A hidden Covid crisis? Assessing the pandemic’s impact on young workers and their mental health Thursday 13 May 2021 Many young people have had to put their lives and livelihoods on hold over the past year. They have experienced the biggest employment hit, and a big deterioration in their mental health. But the link between these two issues of job insecurity and poor mental health is rarely discussed. As the country reopens, understanding the … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Intergenerational Centre Covid secure? Older workers during the pandemic Monday 26 April 2021 The age spread of labour market damage from the Covid-induced economic crisis is distinctly U shaped. The youngest workers have been worst affected, accounting for two-thirds of the fall in payrolled employment. But older workers have also been hard hit and the challenges they face from job losses are significant – from longer periods of … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Incomes· Living standards Covid Comparisons How household finances have been hit across the UK, France and Germany Wednesday 21 April 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has been a truly global crisis but, while every country has been affected, not all have been affected equally. Individual countries have taken different approaches to tackling the virus, and protecting workers and families from its economic impacts. Crucially households entered this crisis with very different levels of financial resilience in different … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19 The 12-month stretch How has Britain coped with a year of Covid-19? Thursday 18 March 2021 On 23rd March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the country to ‘stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives’ to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Twelve months on and several lockdowns later, the crisis has triggered the biggest economic slump in three centuries, an unprecedented £340 billion of emergency support and, tragically, the loss … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Covid-19· Economy and public finances· Macroeconomic policy The economic outlook Speech by the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey Monday 8 March 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a truly global economic crisis, affecting families, firms and institutions throughout the world. The UK has been hard hit – experiencing the biggest economic contraction in over three centuries – but the fast pace of its vaccine roll-out means that the economy is expected to recover rapidly this year. The … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Budgets & fiscal events· Economy and public finances On the recovery road Assessing the Budget and economic outlook Thursday 4 March 2021 Chancellor Sunak’s first year in office has been marked by a huge economic crisis, and unprecedented policy interventions to support workers and firms through the pandemic. With vaccines being swiftly rolled out, the year ahead should see the economy return to growth. But with rising unemployment and firms reluctant to invest, the road to recovery … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Covid-19· Budgets & fiscal events· Economy and public finances Budgeting for Britain’s economic recovery Thursday 25 February 2021 The economic outlook for 2021 is highly uncertain. Having started with a renewed lockdown and likely shrinking economy, a stronger than expected vaccine roll-out offers hope for a recovery in the months ahead. The upcoming Budget on 3 March will be critical in terms of shaping the strength and nature of that recovery from this … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Monetary policy· Labour market Recovering from long Covid Understanding the pandemic’s labour market legacy Thursday 18 February 2021 The Job Retention Scheme has provided vital support for millions of workers, and kept a lid on job losses. But with the country in a renewed lockdown, the combination of rising unemployment and long lasting furlough means an unprecedented number of people who have done little to no work in nearly a year. Previous recessions … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Housing Resolving rents Tackling Britain’s rent arrears crisis Tuesday 16 February 2021 Britain’s private renters have been one of the groups hit hardest by job losses and furloughing during the coronavirus crisis. A temporary eviction ban has prevented that feeding through into people losing their homes mid-pandemic, but has seen rent arrears mount. This spells trouble for both tenants and landlords in the months ahead. As the … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Firms Building back business With revenues down and debt up are firms ready to power the recovery? Wednesday 10 February 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on Britain, but the roll-out of vaccines offers hope. The economy is expected to recover this year – but the strength of that recovery will depend on how our firms, and jobs and housing markets, respond in the months ahead. Decisions made at the upcoming Budget will … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Living standards· Inequality & poverty A standard recovery? The outlook for living standards, poverty and inequality Monday 18 January 2021 2020 was tough for household living standards, even with unprecedented support to increase benefits and pay wages through the Job Retention Scheme. While the start of 2021 looks grim, a swift vaccine roll-out holds out the promise of an economic recovery to come. But this unprecedented crisis may be followed by an abnormal recovery for … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Incomes· Macroeconomic policy Coronanomics: Challenges from the distributional impact of the crisis Friday 11 December 2020 While the health implications of the COVID-19 crisis have fallen overwhelmingly on older generations, the economic fallout has fallen heavily on the young and those on lower incomes. Given the highly uneven impact of the crisis, policymakers face huge challenges in preventing the crisis from creating new inequalities and exacerbating existing ones. In this webinar, … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Labour market· Economy and public finances Coronanomics: Challenges facing policy and governance Tuesday 8 December 2020 Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic has been the toughest test for many governments in generations. From suppressing the virus and ensuring healthcare systems can cope, to dealing with the fallout in terms of support for businesses and households, governments are facing huge policy battles, and on multiple fronts. This has placed great pressure on our … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Labour market Coronanomics: Challenges from the unequal impact on the labour market Monday 7 December 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost everyone’s working life, but in very different ways – from remote working, to being furloughed and losing work altogether. The speed and scale of rising unemployment in many countries has been unprecedented. And with the crisis far from over, unemployment is likely to get far worse before it gets … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Fiscal policy· Macroeconomic policy Coronanomics: Challenges facing fiscal policy makers Monday 30 November 2020 With a decade of low interest rates, low growth and low inflation leaving central banks in advanced economies unable to perform their traditional role of supporting the economy during a downturn, fiscal policy must step up and play the leading role this time around. This changes radically how we should think about the role of … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Economy and public finances· Macroeconomic policy Coronanomics The economic challenges of COVID-19 Monday 30 November 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has upended economies across the world. The daunting scale, pace and uncertainty of the crisis has presented huge challenges for economics, and for economic policymakers attempting to steer countries through it while limiting the damage to citizens’ lives and livelihoods. And even if a vaccine is found soon, the legacy of the … Continued READ MORE
