Britain’s increasingly unevenly shared property wealth is driving up inequality after a decade-long fall 18 June 2017 The spreading of property wealth across Britain in the mid-1990s and mid-2000s fueled a decade-long fall in wealth inequality but that progress has now gone into reverse, according to a new report to be published later this week by the Resolution Foundation. The report, launching a major programme of work on wealth across Britain for … Continued READ MORE
Pay squeeze tightens sharply despite low unemployment 14 June 2017 Real earnings growth falls to lowest level outside of the great pay squeeze in nearly 40 years Real pay growth dropped to its lowest level outside the great pay squeeze that followed the financial crisis in nearly 40 years, despite unemployment remaining at its lowest level since 1975, the Resolution Foundation said today in response … Continued READ MORE
Rising inflation means Britain is set for a longer, deeper pay squeeze 13 June 2017 The latest rise in inflation will deepen Britain’s pay squeeze, while further falls in sterling could add further inflationary pressures in the coming months, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest inflation figures. CPIH increased from 2.6% to 2.7% in May, while CPI increased from 2.7% to 2.9%. The Foundation notes … Continued READ MORE
New survey shows businesses are totally unprepared for a new era of lower migration 12 June 2017 Employers are totally unprepared for the fall in migration that the new government has pledged to deliver once Britain leaves the EU, according to a new survey commissioned by the Resolution Foundation. With formal Brexit negotiations set to start in just seven days’ time, the survey identifies a huge gap between the kind of … Continued READ MORE
Main parties’ tax and benefit plans to hit younger generations hardest 1 June 2017 The tax and benefit policies of the two main parties risk further straining the contract between generations by hitting younger working age families more than older generations, new analysis of the parties’ manifestos by the Resolution Foundation published today (Thursday) has found. Fairness between generations has emerged as a strong theme across both manifestos. The … Continued READ MORE
Sharp fall in migration from Eastern Europe means many firms will face a very different post-Brexit labour market 25 May 2017 The sharp fall in net migration since the referendum shows that businesses relying on migrant workers should prepare for a very different labour market, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the latest net migration figures published today (Thursday). The latest figures show that the 84,000 fall in migration was led by a rising number … Continued READ MORE
Gap between rich and poor areas is rising post crisis, even while gap between rich and poor households has fallen 24 May 2017 The gap between rich and poor areas is rising, despite the gap between rich and poor households having fallen since the financial crisis. This is according to Resolution Foundation analysis of ONS Regional Gross Household Disposable Income (GHDI) figures published this morning. The Resolution Foundation analysis shows that the ratio between the richest and poorest … Continued READ MORE
Higher pension deficit payments are reducing workers’ pay by £200 a year 22 May 2017 Squeeze extends to low earners who are outside their companies’ DB pension schemes Today’s employees are footing part of the bill for plugging historic gaps in defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, even when they have no claim on the pension pot, according to a first of its kind study published today (Monday) by the Resolution … Continued READ MORE
Home ownership for young families has halved in West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Outer London since the 1990s 19 May 2017 Getting on the housing ladder is a thing of the past for many young families across the country, with home ownership halving among this group between 1994 and 2016 in areas such as West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Outer London, new analysis by the Resolution Foundation has found. The new research counters the popular perception … Continued READ MORE
Pay squeeze returns amidst renewed jobs boom 17 May 2017 Britain kicked off 2017 with a renewed jobs boom and a painful pay squeeze, the Resolution Foundation said today in response to the latest labour market figures. Employment reached an all-time high of 74.8 per cent in the three months to March, while unemployment fell to the lowest level since 1975. In contrast, real … Continued READ MORE
Sharp inflation rise deepens Britain’s pay squeeze 16 May 2017 Britain’s pay squeeze is on course to deepen in April as a result of a sharp increase in inflation, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the latest inflation figures today. The Resolution Foundation’s latest pay projection following today’s inflation figures indicates that real pay looks to have fallen by between -0.3% and -0.6% … Continued READ MORE
Tax rises have made an election comeback 16 May 2017 Tax rises have made a comeback in the 2017 General Election, marking a big change from recent elections where tax cuts have been front and centre of parties’ manifestos, according to a new briefing note published today (Tuesday) by the Resolution Foundation. The report notes that both Labour and the Lib Dems have committed … Continued READ MORE
Bank of England confirms the return of the earnings squeeze 11 May 2017 Britain is on course for a renewed earnings squeeze, following a sizeable revision of the Bank’s near-term forecasts for pay, productivity and household income growth, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in response to the latest Inflation Report. The Bank is predicting a 0.8 per cent drop in average pay over the course of 2017, … Continued READ MORE
The forgotten deficit – huge uncertainty over parties’ fiscal plans just four weeks from polling day 11 May 2017 Huge uncertainties about the main parties’ fiscal stances, just four weeks from polling day, mean that there could be as little as £7bn difference between them – or well over £50bn. This is according to a new report published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation. The Deficit the Election Forgot notes how the deficit has … Continued READ MORE
Older households on modest incomes are struggling to save for retirement despite 20-year jobs boom 3 May 2017 The recent pay squeeze has left many of Britain’s 1.8 million older low and middle income households struggling to save for retirement, despite enjoying strong employment growth over the last 20 years. This is according to a new report published today (Wednesday) by the Centre for Ageing Better and the Resolution Foundation. With the electoral … Continued READ MORE
Real wages falling in 40 per cent of the economy despite further falls in unemployment 12 April 2017 Real wages falling in 40 per cent of the economy despite further falls in unemployment Around 40 per cent of the workforce are in sectors where pay is falling in real terms, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market figures. Real pay growth fell to 0.1 per … Continued READ MORE
A pause in inflation rises won’t prevent Britain’s pay squeeze returning – six months ahead of schedule 11 April 2017 The latest inflation figure of 2.3 per cent for March means that real average earnings look set to have fallen during the first three months of 2017, six months ahead of the OBR’s projection in the recent Budget, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest ONS figures. The Foundation’s updated … Continued READ MORE
Poorest third of households will be worse off from tax and benefit changes starting this week, despite a £1bn giveaway 2 April 2017 Four-fifths of the gains from tax and benefit changes coming into effect later this week (6 April) will go to the richest half of households, with the poorest third of households set to be £70 worse off on average, according to a new briefing note published today (Sunday) by the Resolution Foundation. The analysis looks … Continued READ MORE
Pay of National Living Wage workers set to grow nearly 4 times faster than typical earners this parliament 1 April 2017 Pay for workers on the National Living Wage (NLW) will rise nearly four times faster than for a typical worker over this parliament, according to new Resolution Foundation analysis marking the latest increase of the NLW to £7.50 an hour today (Saturday). Today’s 30p increase means pay for NLW earners is estimated to be 1.5 … Continued READ MORE
Graduates have led the initial post-referendum dip in EU migrant workers 23 March 2017 The number of EU-born workers in the UK fell by 50,000 in the last three months of 2016 to around 2,300,000 – with the biggest falls taking place among graduates and those working in banking, the public sector and construction – according to new analysis published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation. The Foundation’s analysis … Continued READ MORE
Pay packets already shrinking as record run of low inflation ends 21 March 2017 Real earnings falls have arrived earlier than expected as inflation has risen above the Bank of England’s target for the first time since December 2013, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest inflation figures. Inflation had been below the Bank’s 2 per cent target for a record 38 months, driving recent … Continued READ MORE
Britain enjoyed steady but slowing income growth in run-up to the referendum vote 16 March 2017 Commenting on the DWP’s Households Below Average Income statistics published today (Thursday) – the biggest and most authoritative official survey of household incomes – Adam Corlett, Economic Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The big picture for living standards has been a sharp squeeze and stagnation in the wake of the financial crisis, followed … Continued READ MORE
Government has missed the opportunity to ensure tax system keeps pace with a changing world of work 15 March 2017 Commenting on the news that the Chancellor has dropped plans to increase Class 4 National Insurance contributions for the self-employed in this parliament, Torsten Bell, Director of the Resolution Foundation, said: “Whatever the rights and wrongs of Conservative Manifesto commitments, today’s U-turn on National Insurance means the government has missed an opportunity to correct a … Continued READ MORE
Unemployment hits 41-year low but Britain’s short lived pay recovery is rapidly coming to an end 15 March 2017 Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in over 40 years but pay growth is also slowing rapidly – and is already negative in parts of the economy – the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market figures. Employment remained at a record 74.6 per cent, while unemployment … Continued READ MORE
Rapid rise of zero-hours contracts has slowed to a crawl 15 March 2017 Zero-hours contracts (ZHCs) have hit a record high of 905,000, but a significant slowdown in their recent growth has been confirmed, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest ONS figures. The latest figures show that the number of people on a ZHC grew by more than 100,000 between the last three … Continued READ MORE