Incomes Scotland and the UK in the EU; a keynote speech by Nicola Sturgeon Monday 29 February 2016 At an event hosted by the Resolution Foundation at St John’s Smith Square in Westminster, the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party delivered a keynote address on the benefits of EU membership for work and living standards. The First Minister took part in a Q&A session with gathered guests. READ MORE
Work Ready for the wage floor? Making a success of the National Living Wage Wednesday 24 February 2016 Around 4.5 million employees are set to benefit from the introduction of the new National Living Wage in April – and more will benefit as the rate approaches £9 over the course of the parliament. But how will employers, particularly those in low-paying sectors, respond to the new higher wage floor? Will it spur a … Continued READ MORE
Incomes Living standards war and peace: family incomes in recession and recovery Tuesday 16 February 2016 The launch of Resolution Foundation’s annual living standards audit When will typical household incomes finally return to their pre-crash health, following a long squeeze and a strong bounce back in 2015? With the living standards recovery being felt very differently across the country, who’s gaining most and who’s missing out? How are households on low-to-middle … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Public finances All bound up? Monetary policy in recovery and beyond Thursday 28 January 2016 UK monetary policy is in a remarkable place, with the base rate nearing seven years at its historic low of 0.5 per cent and the Bank of England introducing a range of unconventional measures in order to help deal with the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis. While this must unwind at some point, rates … Continued READ MORE
Work State of working Scotland with Roseanna Cunningham MSP Wednesday 20 January 2016 In Edinburgh, the Resolution Foundation launched a major new report into the Scottish labour market and living standards at which Roseanna Cunningham MSP delivered a key note speech. The report focuses on how Scotland weathered the recession and the shape of its recovery, highlighting both the similarities and differences to the experience of other nations and regions of the UK. … Continued READ MORE
Work Quantity vs quality: Trade off or synergies in the pursuit of full employment? Tuesday 12 January 2016 Employment is at a record high, and economic inactivity is close to an historic low. But the UK’s employment rate is still some way behind other advanced economies such as Germany and Sweden. And the quality of work available remains a huge issue for both those in and out of work. Is the government’s target … Continued READ MORE
Incomes Capital gains? Taking on London’s living standards challenge Thursday 7 January 2016 Keynote speech by Sadiq Khan, Labour candidate for London Mayor The new National Living Wage is set to transform low pay across Britain. But it will have far less impact in the capital where a far lower proportion of workers earn the legal minimum. Should London have a different approach to tackling low pay, and … Continued READ MORE
Work The 2016 earnings outlook: Will inflation or productivity prevail in Britain’s pay recovery? Tuesday 15 December 2015 The UK has experienced a welcome pay rebound this year, helped along by falling unemployment and historically low inflation. But can the pay recovery be sustained into next year? Will rising inflation erode real wage growth, or will stronger productivity gains push nominal pay rises higher still? Which of these will ultimately determine the strength … Continued READ MORE
Social security Can we afford to care? The future health of social care Thursday 12 November 2015 The combination of rising demand, reduced funding and increasing costs stemming from the National Living Wage are set to put an already stretched social care sector under further strain. What additional public funding is needed to maintain social care provision in its current form over the parliament and beyond? Could closer health integration create efficiencies … Continued READ MORE
Public finances Shrinking pains: The size and functions of the state over the parliament and beyond Tuesday 10 November 2015 A decade of deep public spending cuts in areas such as non-schools education and working age welfare, combined with increased funding for health and pensioner benefits, will mean the size and functions of the state will be very different in 2020, compared to before the crash. What should citizens expect from a smaller state? What … Continued READ MORE
Social security The tax credit crunch: How to limit the losses for low-income families Thursday 5 November 2015 Millions of working families are set to be face a significant fall in income next April as a result of the £4.4bn cuts to tax credits. Many will find it hard to recover these losses by earning more – despite the welcome introduction of the National Living Wage. What policies could ease the losses facing … Continued READ MORE
Work Matthew Hancock MP in conversation with David Willetts on the living wage Tuesday 6 October 2015 The Chancellor’s announcement of a National Living Wage, a policy based in part on the recommendations of the Resolution Foundation review into the future of the Minimum Wage, was arguably the most eye-catching announcement of the Summer Budget. This higher wage floor will deliver a welcome boost to low-paid workers, but implementing it will be … Continued READ MORE
Incomes Building Britain’s powerhouses: putting Cities in pole position to drive economic growth Sunday 4 October 2015 The government has been keen to push its Northern Powerhouse vision, but what role can cities across the UK play in supporting growth? How can local government deliver more? At a Resolution Foundation event chaired by author and journalist Rosa Prince, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark set out his growth … Continued READ MORE
Public finances How does Labour reclaim economic and fiscal credibility? Tuesday 29 September 2015 As Labour seeks to rebuild after the 2015 election defeat, what must the party do to win back voters trust on its handling of the economy? At a Resolution Foundation event Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle will outline how she believes Labour can reclaim economic credibility, while Director of the IFS Paul Johnson, Guardian columnist … Continued READ MORE
Work Is Labour still the workers’ party? Monday 28 September 2015 As Labour seeks to rebuild following its defeat at the last General Election, how can it reclaim its mantle as the party for working people? At a Resolution Foundation event Owen Smith MP will outline his vision for Labour’s approach to pay and work, and how it fits with Labour’s wider economic strategy. Head of … Continued READ MORE
Incomes Between One Nation Conservatism and Corbyn: where next for the Lib Dems and social justice? Tuesday 22 September 2015 As the Liberal Democrats seek to rebuild the party following heavy losses at the last election, what role should issues such as low pay, taxation, health and welfare reform play in the party’s policy priorities? At a Resolution Foundation event, Norman Lamb MP set out his ideas on the party’s approach to social justice, followed … Continued READ MORE
Work Getting ready for a higher wage floor: Tackling Britain’s low pay and productivity challenge Tuesday 15 September 2015 The extent of low pay across Britain has barely moved in the last 20 years, but is likely to change rapidly over the next five as a result of the new ‘National Living Wage’. But without productivity growth, some employers in low-paying sectors could struggle with a fast-rising wage floor. What are the key productivity … Continued READ MORE
Work Where next for the Living Wage? Thursday 3 September 2015 The Chancellor’s new ‘National Living Wage’ announced in the Budget will mean a welcome pay rise for low paid workers. But implementing it will be a big challenge for many employers and on its own secure it won’t a decent standard of living for millions of working families. What does this higher wage floor mean … Continued READ MORE
Work The complete works: Targeting full employment in modern Britain Monday 20 July 2015 The pursuit of full employment is back in fashion, with all the main parties committed to pursuing it. But what would full employment look like in Britain today, and what are the trade-offs in reaching this goal? Which hard-to reach groups need to be brought into the labour market, and what role can public policy play in … Continued READ MORE
Monetary policy· Public finances· Macroeconomic policy Weathering the storm: the recent past, present and future of UK monetary policy Tuesday 14 July 2015 Resolution Foundation hosted David Miles’s outgoing speech as a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee. A member of the Monetary Policy Committee – the body responsible for setting the Bank of England’s base rate – since 2009, David Miles has been a key policy maker during a truly fascinating and tumultuous period for … Continued READ MORE
Social security Benefiting everyone? Making Universal Credit fit for the next decade Monday 8 June 2015 Over eight million households will be eligible for Universal Credit when it is fully up and running. But with the UK labour market having transformed in recent decades, is this once-in-a-generation reform being designed to deal with current and future welfare challenges, such as growing in-work poverty? Will it achieve its goals and prove to … Continued READ MORE
Work Time to pay up: Securing stronger, shared wage growth Thursday 26 March 2015 After the longest fall in modern history real wages are finally turning the corner. But the outlook for pay remains highly uncertain. Productivity remains on the floor. Automation and globalisation generate pessimism about our pay prospects. Others feel that the wage-gloom is overdone. As pay starts to rise what can be done to secure widely … Continued READ MORE
Work Looking through the hourglass: Hollowing out of the UK jobs market pre- and post-crisis Monday 23 March 2015 In common with other advanced economies, the UK has been characterised as having an ‘hourglass’ labour market in recent decades, with employment growth proving strongest in low and high paying sectors and weakest in the middle. But what are the factors behind this polarisation – globalisation, education, the rise of the robots? And has the … Continued READ MORE
Incomes Time to catch up? Living standards in the next parliament Thursday 12 March 2015 After the deepest squeeze in living memory, household incomes are finally recovering. But when can we expect living standards to return to their previous peak and what is the outlook for the next Parliament? At an event at the Resolution Foundation’s central London headquarters, CBI Director-General John Cridland gave a speech on these issues setting … Continued READ MORE
Work Higher minimum wages in big cities: Are there lessons for the UK from the US? Wednesday 4 March 2015 From San Francisco to Seattle, fierce political battles have been fought – and won – across the US recently in favour of minimum wages higher than the federal rate. But what are the economic arguments behind higher City-wide minimum wage rates? Have they proved successful and what are the drawbacks? And what, if anything, can … Continued READ MORE
