Recent retirees drive pensioner incomes above those of working families 13 February 2017 Strong recent growth in typical pensioner incomes has been driven by new cohorts of pensioners who are more likely than their predecessors to still be in work, own a home and have access to generous private pension pots. This is according to new analysis published today (Monday) by the Resolution Foundation for the Intergenerational Commission. … Continued READ MORE
Millennial men earned £12,500 less than the generation before them by the time they hit 30 9 February 2017 Millennial men are falling behind the generation before them in their early careers, reflecting a shift towards young men doing low paid work traditionally carried out by women, Resolution Foundation Director Torsten Bell will say in the annual Grigor McClelland lecture to Manchester Business School later today (Thursday). The lecture, on 21st century inequality, … Continued READ MORE
Britain on course for biggest increase in inequality since Thatcher 1 February 2017 Squeeze on poorer households, rather than 80s-style boom for the rich, driving 21st Century inequality Britain is on course for a major living standards slowdown, with typical households seeing almost no income growth over the remainder of this Parliament, according to the Resolution Foundation’s annual audit of living standards published today (Wednesday). A particularly tight … Continued READ MORE
UK’s mini living standards boom ends as inflation starts to bite 29 January 2017 The UK’s mini living standards boom of recent years has ended with income growth for typical working age households more than halving to just 0.5 per cent this year, the Resolution Foundation’s annual living standards audit will warn later this week. The audit – a detailed analysis of the state of living standards across … Continued READ MORE
West of England City region has seen strongest economic recovery outside London 26 January 2017 Rising rents and house prices are swallowing up the living standards gains from the West of England city region’s impressive economic performance over the last decade, according to a new report published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation. A Western Union – published ahead of the West of England’s first ever Metro Mayoral election … Continued READ MORE
Employment back at record high but rising prices are set to eat into pay packets this year 18 January 2017 The UK jobs market is in rude health but rising inflation is set to eat into pay packets this year, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest labour market figures. The headline employment rate returned to its record high of 74.5 per cent in the three months to November, underpinned by … Continued READ MORE
Sharp inflation rise suggests UK on course for a fresh pay squeeze later this year 17 January 2017 Responding to the latest inflation figures for December, which showed that CPI increased to 1.6 per cent (up from 1.2 per cent in November, and 0.6 per cent in July), Conor D’Arcy, Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Today’s sharper than expected rise in inflation shows that the ultra-low price rises that consumers have … Continued READ MORE
UK workforce’s longstanding ‘baby boomer dividend’ turns into a debt this year 16 January 2017 Cost of Britain’s ageing society by 2060 will increase by equivalent of a 4p income tax rise without further action The UK’s non-working population will start to grow faster than its workforce for the first time outside of economic downturns since the early 80s this year, according to a new report published today (Tuesday) by … Continued READ MORE
Strong income growth for pensioners and poorer households has driven down inequality 10 January 2017 RF warns that new living standards divides between generations are growing Inequality fell sharply last year (2015-16) due to strong income growth for retired households and the poorest 40 per cent, but growth among middle income working age households remains weak, the Resolution Foundation said in response to new ONS figures today (Tuesday). Household … Continued READ MORE
Gender pay gap falls to 5 per cent for Millennials in their 20s – but they are still set to face a huge lifetime earnings penalty 4 January 2017 The gender pay gap for millennials in their 20s has halved in a generation to just 5 per cent, but much of that progress looks set to be undone with early signs showing that the gender pay gap continues to escalate as women enter their 30s and 40s. This suggests that millennial women will … Continued READ MORE
Zero-hours contract workers face a ‘precarious pay penalty’ of £1,000 a year 30 December 2016 Workers on zero-hours contracts (ZHCs) face a ‘precarious pay penalty’ of almost seven per cent – or £1,000 a year for a typical worker – compared to similar workers doing similar jobs, according to new analysis published today (Friday) by the Resolution Foundation. The Foundation’s analysis is the first to pinpoint a specific ‘precarious … Continued READ MORE
Merseyside grew fastest in a strong year for Britain’s major city economies 15 December 2016 Merseyside experienced the fastest growth in economic output (GVA per head) of any major city in 2015, but all cities bar London are still worse off than they were before the crisis – highlighting the challenge facing Britain’s new Metro Mayors, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in response to the latest ONS regional GVA … Continued READ MORE
Jobs market is in a post-Brexit holding pattern – but change is coming next year on pay 14 December 2016 Employment and pay growth have been flat for the last six months, but change is coming next year as rising prices start to eat into pay packets, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market figures. The headline employment rate has now plateaued around record highs reached in mid-2016, … Continued READ MORE
Decades of employment failure have turned the West Midlands into Britain’s Brexit capital 12 December 2016 A poor employment performance stretching back decades is turning the West Midlands city region into Britain’s biggest employment blackspot, and played a key role in the region’s vote to leave the EU, according to a new report published today (Monday) by the independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation. As the area prepares to elect its first … Continued READ MORE
Britain is on track for a million agency workers by 2020 5 December 2016 The forgotten face of non-traditional employment hit by average pay penalty of £430 The number of agency workers has grown by 30 per cent since 2011, and now stands at 865,000, a new report by the independent think-tank Resolution Foundation reveals today (Monday) as it launches a major 18-month investigation into agency work. The report … Continued READ MORE
Tackling living standards divide across Greater Manchester must be top priority for new Metro Mayor 29 November 2016 Greater Manchester’s impressive leadership on the national devolution agenda should now be used to tackle the stark living standards inequalities between local areas across the city region, according to a new report published today (Tuesday) by the independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation. The Foundation’s report looks at the city region’s successes and failures … Continued READ MORE
Renewed living standards squeeze is set to be greater in this parliament than the last 24 November 2016 Lower earnings growth, higher inflation and ongoing welfare cuts detailed in the Autumn Statement mean that a renewed income squeeze is set to be even more severe than that seen in the last parliament, according to a new report published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation analysing the impact of the Autumn Statement 2016. … Continued READ MORE
£59bn impact of Brexit and Chancellor’s decision to increase investment spending drive £122bn extra borrowing 23 November 2016 Philip Hammond chooses not to support just about managing families who face a double whammy of lower earnings and benefit cuts Slower growth and higher inflation will mean higher borrowing and a parliament of falling living standards for millions – with the Chancellor missing an opportunity to provide much-needed support for just managing families – … Continued READ MORE
Employment rate plateaus at record high but earnings continue to struggle 16 November 2016 UK unemployment rate falls below US as more people stop actively looking for work The UK labour market has plateaued, though there are a few tentative signs of weakening jobs growth, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market statistics. The employment rate has matched its record high … Continued READ MORE
Unaffordable, unfair and unwise tax cuts have prevented the government from balancing the books 2 November 2016 Unaffordable, unfair and unwise tax cuts have prevented the government from balancing the books Chancellor should use Autumn Statement to rethink tax strategy, halting cuts to corporation tax and increases in income tax thresholds Tax giveaways worth £32bn this year have prevented the government from meeting its fiscal targets, according to new analysis published today … Continued READ MORE
Resolution Foundation ASHE analysis 26 October 2016 Real pay growth strongest in over 5 years, due to pick-up in nominal pay and low inflation in 2016 But still a long way to go, and prospects for lower pay growth / higher inflation mean this year’s growth unlikely to be repeated soon Hourly pay in 2016 was still 88p (6.8 … Continued READ MORE
Real pay growth in 2016 strongest in over five years – and set to be strongest for next five years too 26 October 2016 Low paid, part-time workers and women enjoy the biggest pay rises due to National Living Wage Real hourly pay grew at its fastest rate since 2009 off the back of historically low inflation – but the weak outlook for pay means this pace of growth may not be be repeated this parliament, the Resolution Foundation … Continued READ MORE
Chancellor faces an £84bn borrowing black hole in his Autumn Statement 26 October 2016 The Chancellor is facing a sharp deterioration in the public finances in his Autumn Statement, but a fiscal ‘reset’ would allow him to boost investment spending and increase support for ‘just managing families’, according to a new report published today (Wednesday) by the Resolution Foundation. The report, Pressing the reset button, comes with the Autumn … Continued READ MORE
UK maintains record employment but threat of fresh pay squeeze grows stronger 19 October 2016 The initial post-referendum labour market figures show very little change from the period running up to it, with employment picture remaining strong but pay growth continuing to disappoint, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) in response to the latest labour market statistics. The figures showed that the employment rate remained at a record high, while … Continued READ MORE
Typical earnings of the self-employed lower than 20 years ago 18 October 2016 The dramatic shift in self-employment over the last two decades – including the decline in full-time work and the falling share of self-employed business owners who have staff of their own – has been a critical factor in a 20-year stagnation in typical earnings, according to a new report published today (Tuesday) by the … Continued READ MORE