Book launch for ‘Not Working’ by David Blanchflower Wednesday 12 June, 6-7.15pm, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster   In the US, unemployment has fallen to a five decade low, while in the UK it is at its lowest level since 1974. These headline figures suggest that both countries are close to full employment – and that … Continued

While much of the world feels like it’s going through a period of sweeping political, economic and social change, what it means to be human remains unchanged but not unchallenged. Does the new world of big data and technological change bring new opportunities to empower citizens? Or will it replace them? How much agency do … Continued

Raising skill-levels boosts pay, productivity and ultimately living standards. And yet the pace of growth in educational attainment has stalled – with a slowdown in people progressing to mid- and higher-level qualifications, and many firms reporting damaging skills shortages. Who has benefitted from investment in skills over the last 20 years, and who has been … Continued

The Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review was established to undertake a detailed and rigorous assessment of the current state, and future potential, of Greater Manchester’s economy. The review provides a major update of the city region’s economic evidence base providing lessons for policy makers across Greater Manchester, and for other city-regions across the UK with … Continued

The seismic changes on the high street have been hugely visible throughout Britain, and prompted much soul searching from businesses, communities and policy makers in local, regional and national government. But even more important than the recent loss of some household names, is what the changing way we live, work and shop means for the … Continued

Ten years ago, as the financial crisis became a crisis for the real economy, many expected to see a return to the 3 million unemployed that had followed the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s. Instead Britain saw far fewer job losses and a stronger employment recovery, with the UK hitting new employment records from … Continued

Much of Britain, from our bills to our welfare state, is built around a steady monthly pay cheque. But for many people their wages are far less secure. There are many reasons for earnings volatility – from people changing roles, switching hours or losing shifts, to receiving a one-off bonus – but its extent and … Continued

Britain is on course to experience the worst decade for pay growth in over two centuries – an unmitigated disaster for living standards. But while a large part of this is down to the financial crisis and its aftermath, Britain’s terrible record on pay has continued even while employment has surged to record highs. So … Continued

The National Living Wage has transformed Britain’s low pay landscape, with the number of low waged workers falling significantly for the first time in 40 years. But Britain’s low pay challenges are far from over, and a higher minimum wage, crucial as that is, cannot solve them all. We need to focus on those new … Continued

The Resolution Foundation presents a double header book launch on the modern world of work: Humans as a Service: The Promise and Perils of Work in the Gig Economy by Jeremias Prassl Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain by James Bloodworth The gig economy has the potential to revolutionise work, offering more independence for workers, but this … Continued

Matthew Taylor’s government-commissioned Review of Modern Working Practices took a long look at the UK labour market and made many recommendations to raise the quality of work. Central among these was a proposal for a higher minimum wage for non-guaranteed hours. This shone a light on a long-neglected part of UK employment policy – overtime. … Continued

Book launch for ‘A University Education’ by David Willetts University education is both ancient and modern. While the history of British universities dates back many centuries, today they are at the forefront of a global talent content – seeking to attract the best students from around the world. In his book A University Education, former Universities … Continued

Employment is rising in Greater Manchester, but the area faces huge challenges if it wants to catch up with and exceed other major city regions. What type of industries does the area need to boost pay and productivity? What can be done to ensure the local workforce benefit from secure, high quality jobs? What can … Continued

Speech by Alan Milburn, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission Britain has among the highest proportion of low paid workers in Europe, despite the welcome introduction and ramping up of the National Living Wage. While long-term low paid work can leave some in working poverty, it is often argued that it provides a route on … Continued

A controversial policy when introduced in 1998, tuition fees for higher education in England have remained a contentious issue. But the debate about their future and the implications for the quantity and quality of higher education in England has reached new heights in recent months. As new undergraduates arrive at universities in the coming weeks there are big … Continued

With Adair Turner, Chairman of the Institute for New Economic Thinking and ex-Chair of the Low Pay Commission The rapid rise of self-employment has been the biggest jobs story of the last decade. For some, it represents the best of our flexible labour market and entrepreneurial spirit. For others, it represents a new way to … Continued

Joint Resolution Foundation and CBI Labour Market Conference Britain’s labour market is at a crossroads, with Brexit, globalisation and the march of technology set to fundamentally change the world of work over the coming years. Planning for these changes should be top of the new government and British businesses’ to do list. What will Brexit … Continued

The biggest change for in-work skills policy for decades is about to be implemented with the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy this April. The new levy and associated reforms aim to drive up the quantity of training, and in so doing to tackle both our low productivity and failure to offer sufficient high quality routes … Continued

Speech by Employment Minister Damian Hinds The UK jobs market has surpassed all expectations in recent years, with employment reaching a record high at the start of 2016 and staying there for the rest of the year. But this success has not been spread equally. While over-50s have accounted for two-thirds of net jobs growth, … Continued

From the rise of the gig economy and self-employment, to zero-hours contracts and agency work the modern workplace is changing rapidly. But the policy response to these huge shifts – from employment rights to the taxation of profits and pay – has been slow to catch up. Where does policy need to change to reflect … Continued

Rapid employment growth and historically low inflation have been the bedrock of a strong recovery in household incomes in recent years. However, both started to tail off towards the end of 2016 and are unlikely to re-emerge soon. Meanwhile a major fall in the value of the pound looks set to drive up inflation during … Continued