Analysis and action on living standards
The private rented sector has more than doubled in size since the turn of the century, and the people who live within it look very different today compared to those it housed in the early 2000s.
This briefing note sets out how the Government can reset Britain’s economic policy following disastrous local election results, arguing that an honest assessment of where the country stands is the indispensable starting point for repairing its relationship with voters. The economic backdrop remains highly challenging with the conflict in the Middle East providing another unwanted headwind for growth. The growth outlook has deteriorated since the 2024 general election and lags well behind the US. Since the pandemic, median incomes have crawled up, while for many poorer families real income fell. Some household groups have fared better with pensioner incomes outperforming working-age families since the pandemic. Looking over a longer sweep of history, wealthier families have also fared better.
The Resolution Foundation is an independent think-tank dedicated to lifting living standards in the UK. We focus particularly on households with low and middle incomes; those on low pay or in precarious work; and those vulnerable to financial shocks.
Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began nearly two months ago, global energy markets have been volatile. But the shock facing Britain has so far been smaller than that which followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: UK gas prices peaked at 78p per therm above pre-war levels – not 300p, as in 2022.
This report investigates why the UK’s NEET rate has been rising since 2019, and why it has long been higher than in many other countries. After falling for much of the 2010s, the proportion of 18-24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (the ‘NEET rate’) climbed from 13 per cent in 2019 to 15 per cent in 2025 – equivalent to almost 900,000 young people.
The Resolution Foundation calculates the real Living Wage – a voluntary hourly pay rate that is based on what families need to get by. The current national rate is:
Explore our interactive housing indicators or read about our alternative estimate of UK employment.
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Resolution Ventures exists to back innovative start-ups seeking to change the world of work for the better, and early-stage ventures seeking to improve the prospects of low-to-middle income Britain.
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