Incomes· Low pay· Living Wage Minimum wage, maximum pressure Assessing short-term impacts and long-term plans for the UK’s wage floor Monday 31 March 2025 The minimum wage has been a big success story since its introduction in 1998 – but 2025 might be its trickiest year yet. The combination of increases to employer National Insurance and a bigger-than-expected 6.7 per cent rise in the National Living Wage has left businesses warning of jobs cuts and hiring freezes. Such warnings haven’t come to pass in the past, but with the jobs market already in recession territory, might this year be different? It is amidst this uncertainty and challenging backdrop that the Government will need set out a longer-term plan for the minimum wage. READ MORE
Labour market· Low pay Making the ‘New Deal’ a good deal for low-paid workers How should the Government deliver its planned changes to employment law? Thursday 5 September 2024 Register to attend in person or to receive an access link. The Government has come into office promising major workplace reforms that could amount to the biggest shake-up of the workplace in a generation. The ‘New Deal for Working People’ pledged a number of reforms, including to unfair dismissal, sick pay, employment status, zero hours … Continued READ MORE
Low pay· Labour market Setting a high bar Celebrating 25 years of the minimum wage, and plotting its next path Wednesday 27 March 2024 The introduction of the minimum wage back in April 1999 was a controversial policy choice, with businesses warning that it would lead to widespread job losses. But 25 years on, it has proved to be a great policy success that has been built on by several governments. Raising the legal wage floor has significantly reduced … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Low pay The Innovation Job Can new labour market institutions drive good work? Monday 4 September 2023 Nationally set minimum standards – from the minimum wage to holiday pay – make a real difference to the quality of low-paid work. But these reforms can only go so far. Many problems in the world of work are concentrated in specific sectors, from social care to logistics. And even when problems are shared – … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Low pay· Labour market Good work How to renew the UK’s economic strategy and put better jobs at its heart Wednesday 19 April 2023 The minimum wage has more than halved the share of low paid workers across Britain over the past two decades. This is a huge success – but it is far from job done. While low-paid workers today earn more, they are too often trapped on short-hours, facing poor working conditions or lacking the advantages higher … Continued READ MORE
Low pay· Labour market Clocking in and out Is choice or circumstance driving part-time work among low earners? Wednesday 30 November 2022 Working hours, not just hourly pay rates, are a key determinant of living standards. Historically, men have tended to work more paid hours than women, with working hours for both sexes increasing substantially between the ages of 18 and 25. But over recent decades these trends appear to be weakening, with increasing numbers of young … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Low pay· Labour market Raising the bar What are the new frontiers for tackling low pay? Wednesday 25 May 2022 Over the past two decades, Britain’s low pay landscape has been transformed by the introduction and ramping up of the national minimum wage. This has been an unqualified policy success, so much so that the government is on course to eliminate hourly low pay this decade. With that landmark moment in sight, policy makers will … Continued READ MORE
Low pay· Labour market· Pay· Living Wage Earning back better The future of low pay in Britain Monday 7 June 2021 Britain’s low-paid workers have been at the epicentre of the Covid-19 crisis – as key workers unable to work from home during lockdown, or as those most likely to have lost their jobs as our low-paying social sectors – from hospitality to retail – have closed. As the economy reopens, low-paid workers should be at … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Low pay· Living Wage Raising pay vs protecting jobs? Where next for the National Living Wage Thursday 24 September 2020 Live interactive webinar. This pandemic has shone a spotlight on the vital work done by Britain’s low-paid workers who, from supermarket staff to care workers, were the most likely to continue working even while the rest of the economy was shut down or working from home. Many people would agree that a higher minimum wage … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19· Low pay· Pay From loud claps to hard cash A new settlement for Britain’s low-paid workers Wednesday 3 June 2020 Low-paid workers have borne the brunt of Britain’s economic crisis. Almost one in three have been furloughed or lost their jobs completely, while many of those continuing to work have risked their lives in doing so. We clap many of our low-paid workers every Thursday. But gratitude alone won’t pay the bills or ensure they … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Low pay· Labour market· Pay· Economic growth Working Britain What does 2020 have in store for job prospects and pay packets? Friday 10 January 2020 Friday 10 January 2019, 9.30-10.45am, Resolution Foundation offices, Westminster 2019 was a good year for the labour market – the area of the economy that matters most to households. Employment reached a new record high, while pay growth finally approached pre-crisis levels. The strong performance of the UK labour market is all the more remarkable … Continued READ MORE
Low pay· Pay The end of low pay? Charting the future of the minimum wage Thursday 30 May 2019 At the event to mark the launch of Professor Arin Dube’s review we heard from him and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and also presented new research on the future of the minimum wage from our ‘Low Pay Britain’ report. READ MORE
