Work Self-employed see a plunge in earnings even as their numbers surge 6 May 2014 The typical self-employed worker earns 40 per cent less than the typical employee reveals a new report which provides the most in-depth picture yet of the UK’s growing self-employed workforce and how it is changing. The study by independent think tank the Resolution Foundation shows a dramatic fall in the weekly earnings of the self-employed … Continued READ MORE
Work New study shows significant numbers of zero-hours staff want more work 30 April 2014 Workers on zero-hours contracts are much more likely to be underemployed, to be looking for another job, and to be without union membership than staff on conventional contracts, shows new analysis published today by the Resolution Foundation, an independent think-tank. The research shows that almost three in 10 of all those on zero-hours contracts (29 … Continued READ MORE
Work Break even moment for wages is positive news – though long catch-up lies ahead 16 April 2014 Today’s official figures from the ONS show average earnings have caught up with the rate of CPI inflation, with both at 1.7%, for the first time since 2010. This is a significant moment given the unprecedented squeeze of recent years and will come as a relief to many workers. Amid the good news there are … Continued READ MORE
Work 450,000 newly self-employed would rather be employees 15 April 2014 Reluctant recruits make up a quarter of those becoming self-employed since the recession but clear majority still prefer being their own boss A quarter of those who started out as self-employed in the last five years would prefer to be employees, suggests new research from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation, conducted by Ipsos MORI. … Continued READ MORE
Work Workers should get the right to move off zero-hours contracts after a year 25 March 2014 Workers who have been on a zero-hours contract for at least 12 months should be given the legal right to switch to a fixed hours contract if they’ve worked regular shifts during that time, recommends a new report into the controversial employment practice. The report from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation is the first … Continued READ MORE
Work Slow growth in wages and a recovery based on running down savings is cause for concern 19 March 2014 Latest projections suggest that wages of the typical worker will broadly flat-line over the next four years despite official projections of stronger economic growth released alongside the Budget. Today’s OBR projections have average pay recovering to its pre-crisis level by 2018. (This projection is based on the mean and uses the CPI measure of inflation). … Continued READ MORE
Work Major reform of minimum wage recommended by policy’s key architect 12 March 2014 The UK should undertake major reform of the minimum wage to help tackle the pervasive problem of low pay argues one of the policy’s key architects. The call comes in the final report of the Resolution Foundation’s review of the future of the minimum wage, chaired by Professor Sir George Bain the founding chairman of … Continued READ MORE
Social security Poorest working families will miss out on £1,000 a year because of unbalanced childcare support 2 March 2014 Poorer working families stand to miss out on as much as £1,000 a year because they are being excluded from a more generous package of childcare support being finalised by the government in the next few weeks. New analysis from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation shows that, among those families who will qualify for … Continued READ MORE
Work “Time has come to reform the minimum wage” says policy’s founder 21 February 2014 The man who implemented the national minimum wage in the UK warned today that it is no longer strong enough to tackle the country’s low pay problems. The policy will need to be reformed if it is to repeat the successes of its first 15 years. Professor Sir George Bain, the founding chair of the … Continued READ MORE
Work Wait for wage growth goes on (and on…) 19 February 2014 New figures from the Office for National Statistics show another fall in real wages despite increasingly positive news in the wider economy. The new data reveals that Average Weekly Earnings (excluding bonuses) in Britain were £450 a week in December 2013 and grew by just 1.0 per cent in the year (comparing October to December … Continued READ MORE
Incomes Household incomes will start rising in 2015 – but painfully slow recovery means many years before losses are restored 11 February 2014 Household incomes are set to start rising again in 2015 after six years of decline according to a new report from the Resolution Foundation. The findings come in a detailed and authoritative assessment of the state of living standards in Britain. The report from the independent think tank also finds that growth in disposable income … Continued READ MORE
Work Two in three mothers say high cost of childcare is a barrier to working more 23 January 2014 Around two-thirds of mothers say the cost of childcare is an obstacle to them working more, reveals a new report from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation. In a survey conducted by the Resolution Foundation and Mumsnet for the report, 67 per cent of mothers in work and 64 per cent of those not working … Continued READ MORE
Social security Don’t mis-sell tax cuts to millions of working families, urges Resolution Foundation 7 January 2014 Politicians weighing up tax cuts in the approach to the next general election are at risk of mis-selling their policies by failing to disclose how little of any proposed giveaway in the next Parliament will actually benefit millions of working households on universal credit. Analysis by the Resolution Foundation reveals for the first time how … Continued READ MORE
Social security Poorer families left “running uphill” as Universal Credit penalty holds them back from recovery 4 January 2014 Some families will need to earn an extra £1,000 a year just to stand still Millions of poorer working families will find it harder for their incomes to keep up with inflation, even after recovery kicks in, because of changes to Universal Credit which will shrink the amount of earnings they can keep, shows new … Continued READ MORE
Social security New council tax benefit system set to be a tax on the workless and working poor 3 January 2014 Two in three local authorities in England have plans that mean from April they may demand council tax payments from working-age households which are currently exempt, analysis from the New Policy Institute and the Resolution Foundation shows. Following the government’s decision to scrap council tax benefit, 326 councils in England must decide by January how … Continued READ MORE
Housing Up to 2 million UK families face perilous debts by 2018 29 December 2013 Britain faces the mounting prospect of a household debt crisis as analysis from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation suggests that a least a million British families, and possibly as many as 2 million, could be spending more than half their disposable income on repayments by 2018 The study uses the latest five-year growth projections … Continued READ MORE
Social security £600 million raid on Universal Credit will leave millions of working families worse off 13 December 2013 A £600m reduction in support will leave millions of working families worse off by 2017 by reducing the amount they can earn before their Universal Credit payment is withdrawn, according to new analysis from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that changes to Universal Credit, announced in the Autumn … Continued READ MORE
Work Weak wage growth poses questions over stability of recovery 5 December 2013 The first full year when average wages are expected to recover to pre-recession levels was pushed back from 2017 to 2018 today by the government’s official economic forecasts, despite strong and very welcome growth in employment. As a result, the Resolution Foundation calculates that the median wage – the pay of a typical worker – … Continued READ MORE
Work Double blow of falling wages and high unemployment reveals weakness of youth labour market 4 December 2013 The pay of workers in their 20s has tumbled by almost 12 per cent since the peak of the recession in 2009, part of an almost unprecedented squeeze on both the wages and employment chances of young adults. New analysis of official wage data carried out by independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation lays bare the … Continued READ MORE
Work Almost three in four low-paid workers unable to climb the earnings ladder 27 November 2013 Britain’s dismal pay mobility means only a minority manage to earn their way up from the bottom Almost three-quarters of Britain’s workers who were on low pay in 2002 failed to escape from it over the course of the following decade, reveals a comprehensive study of who is able to get on in life by … Continued READ MORE
Housing Shared ownership more affordable than help to buy for low and modest income working families 20 November 2013 A major expansion of newly built shared ownership could help low and modest income working families across the country onto the property ladder, while keeping their housing costs affordable, according to new analysis from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation. The report, One foot on the ladder, shows that shared ownership – where buyers purchase … Continued READ MORE
Work Historic wage squeeze has now lasted four years 13 November 2013 Wages rise slower than prices for 48th month in a row while jobs figures continue to impress Britain’s historic wage squeeze has now been running for four years as wages continue to grow slower than prices, according to new analysis from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation. The news came alongside further impressive growth in … Continued READ MORE
Work More than 300,000 workers trapped at minimum wage for at least five years 26 October 2013 Britain’s growing minimum wage workforce includes 320,000 people who have been trapped on the lowest rung of the pay ladder for five years or more reveals a new report from the Resolution Foundation. Minimum Stay shows that 17 per cent of all those currently earning the minimum wage or up to 25p an hour above it, … Continued READ MORE
Work Falling real wages hit new lows 16 October 2013 Average weekly wages have fallen to their lowest level since measures began in 2001 independent think tank the Resolution Foundation pointed out today. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the average regular weekly wage (excluding bonuses) was £447 in August. Adjusting for inflation (using the RPI measure) this is the lowest … Continued READ MORE
Housing Building and renting to lower income families can provide attractive returns for big investors 10 October 2013 A low-risk income return of 4.7 per cent should be achievable for institutional investors putting money into the private rented sector – a move which could also help solve Britain’s housing crisis for families on modest incomes – suggests an economic study published today. The report identifies a £140 million property portfolio, made up of … Continued READ MORE
