Productivity & industrial strategy· Economic growth The metrics that really matter How can we better measure economic and societal change? UpcomingThursday 3 April 2025 Book launch for The Measure of Progress by Diane Coyle. Britain has endured a prolonged period of economic stagnation, with real household disposable incomes having barely grown since the financial crisis. But beneath these two harsh facts lie a country that has changed considerably, and indeed seen considerable economic, technological and societal progress. The way we measure our economy, let alone our ability to measure it accurately, means that a lot of the changes that really matter to people – for good, and for ill – is missed in official statistics. SIGN UP
Budgets & fiscal events· Economy and public finances The headroom bind What does the Chancellor need to do hit her fiscal rules? UpcomingMonday 17 March 2025 In her Budget last Autumn, the Chancellor announced the biggest tax rises on record to boost public spending and investment by over £300 billion across the Parliament. She also announced new, binding fiscal rules and left herself £10 billion of headroom against meeting them. But the UK economy – and the world – has changed in the past five months… SIGN UP
Welfare Delivering the undeliverable Reforming incapacity and disability benefits to make the system work Thursday 6 March 2025 Britain is becoming sicker, with a sustained increase in levels of ill-health and disability. This creates financial challenges for families, and a fiscal challenge for the Government, with spending on incapacity and disability benefits forecast to rise from £40 billion today to £60 billion by the end of the Parliament. Everyone agrees that the current system is not working. But no-one can agree on how to change it. The Government will need to break that stalemate in its upcoming Green Paper. READ MORE
Working in the think tank sector Webinar for undergraduates or those with similar experience interested in working in the sector Wednesday 5 March 2025 Think tanks are research organisations that develop ideas and suggestions for action on a whole range of subjects affecting society. Using research, analysis and commentary, we aim to inform and influence politicians, policy makers and the public. Given the economic, social and political issues facing the UK, ensuring the world of research and policy-making is populated by a variety of talented individuals with diverse views and backgrounds is more important than ever. To contribute to achieving greater representation, a group of think tanks and similar organisations join together each year to hold a webinar for undergraduates or those with similar experience interested in working in the sector. READ MORE
Incomes· Pay Unpredictable earnings The volatility of pay packets and its impact on living standards Tuesday 4 March 2025 Most people are used to receiving regular monthly pay cheques, hopefully with the occasional bonus and an annual rise. But while this is often taken for granted, for other workers the size and timing of their pay cheques are far more volatile – with knock on effects on their ability to pay bills, save, plan ahead and smooth their living standards over time. But with Brits notoriously adverse to talking about pay, the scale of earnings volatility across the country is unknown. READ MORE
Living standards· Inequality & poverty Tackling the scourge of modern Britain The policies and investment needed to reduce child poverty Wednesday 26 February 2025 The new Government is currently preparing a child poverty strategy, and hoping to emulate the success of the last Labour government, which lifted over half a million children out of poverty over its first five years. This ambition is needed too, because unless action is taken, poverty rates are expected to rise over the course of the parliament. But Britain in the mid-2020s is very different to the late-1990s – a new approach will be needed to lift children out of poverty over the next decade. READ MORE
Housing No place like home? The cost and conditions of housing for ethnic minority households Thursday 6 February 2025 In recent decades the UK has become an increasingly diverse country. And yet, persistent and significant ethnic inequalities remain. While the jobs and pay gaps experienced by those from an ethnic minority are becoming better understood, the key living standards question of housing affordability is still under-discussed. With even higher-income ethnic minority groups spending a greater share of their budgets on keeping a roof over their heads compared to White British households, the puzzle of why they are paying more for their housing remains unsolved. READ MORE
Economy and public finances The jitters-bug How worrying data and market unrest could affect Britain’s economic outlook Thursday 30 January 2025 Government debt markets across the world are having a jittery start to 2025, and the UK is one of the most affected economies with gilt yields volatile amid concerns about stagflation, though they have started to fall back in recent weeks. While these movements pass most people by, they can have a material impact on their living standards. For policy makers, a deteriorating economic outlook may need to be confronted too – either through a changed path for interest rates, or tough choices on tax and spend. READ MORE
Skills Are universities worth it? The returns from higher education for graduates and the economy Monday 20 January 2025 The Resolution Foundation and the King’s Policy Institute are hosting an in-person and interactive event to discuss the controversial question of the returns from university for graduates, firms and the wider economy, and how we can better assess the long-lasting benefits of higher education. Following a presentation from Lord Willetts, we will hear from leading experts including the Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith, the minister responsible for universities in the Department for Education. READ MORE
Economy and public finances A squeezed middle of the decade? The political economy outlook for 2025 Tuesday 7 January 2025 2025 is shaping up to be a big year in UK politics, as the Government’s ambitions set out across various White Papers start to be turned into deliverable action on the ground. The Spending Review could also set the tone for the rest of the Parliament, as the Chancellor sets out how to invest £100 billion wisely, and Ministers show how they intend to improve public services in the face of severe financial constraints. The living standards outlook is no less challenging. READ MORE
Unsung Britain· Labour market Work is where the heart is? How lower-income families experience the labour market Thursday 12 December 2024 Rising employment has been one of the biggest economic changes for lower income families over the past quarter century, with the number of workless households falling by a third since 1996. But while more people from poorer households are entering the workforce, they are not necessarily getting on in their careers or enjoying the work they do. This second report of the Unsung Britian project – supported by JPMorganChase – examines low-to-middle income families’ experiences of employment, pay and job quality. READ MORE
A new long-term plan for growth How should the Government set its new Industrial Strategy? Monday 9 December 2024 The Government is gunning for growth, and its new Industrial Strategy lies at the heart of this agenda. But while Industrial Strategies are supposed to set long-term policy thinking, Britain’s recent experience has been anything but – with strategies often experiencing a shelf life more akin to a Premier League manager (or Prime Minister…). As the new Government sets out fresh long-term thinking on how it can support British industries, what should inform a new Industrial Strategy for the decisive decade ahead? READ MORE
Trade in the age of Trumponomics Navigating Britain’s trade in a post-Brexit, intra-Trump world Wednesday 4 December 2024 British firms are still adjusting to the Brexit shock that has affected UK firms’ ability to trade with our biggest trading partner bloc. Now a new shock is looming from the country we trade most with via threats of universal tariffs from the President-Elect Donald Trump. But the impact of these huge trade shocks will differ across different sectors, and across importing and exporting firms. Understanding where the UK’s trade strengths and vulnerabilities lie will be crucial as the Government develops a new trade strategy for the decade ahead. READ MORE
Wealth & assets An uneven inheritance Examining wealth inequalities within and between generations Thursday 28 November 2024 British household wealth has been on a rollercoaster ride in recent years. Increased saving during the Covid-19 pandemic boosted wealth, only for interest rate rises during the cost-of-living crisis to wipe out wealth gains. Since the late 1970s overall measures of wealth inequality have been relatively stable. But this hides big changes in wealth gaps both within generations, and between them. And as wealth is passed down through generations, the state of wealth in Britain today has huge implications for current and future living standards, for young, old and middle-aged alike. READ MORE
Intergenerational Centre Many helping hands How intergenerational transfers support lifetime living standards Thursday 21 November 2024 Transfers between generations – from care given to younger or older relatives, to gifts, inheritances and a roof over one’s head – play a vital role in society. But despite their importance to family living standards, they are often misunderstood. If we’re to better appreciate how modern Britain operates, we need to understand the economic significance of these intergenerational transfers, and what they mean for individuals and families. READ MORE
Unsung Britain· Living standards Unsung Britain Understanding the stresses and strains of low-to-middle income families across the country Wednesday 13 November 2024 There are around 13 million low-to-middle income families across Britain today. This diverse group of families are at the heart of the country’s economic prospects, and any government’s political mandate. And yet they are poorly understood – who they are, how their lives have changed, and the stresses and strains they are under. In order to better understand low-to-middle income Britain, the Resolution Foundation is launching a new 12-month project – with support from JPMorganChase – which will also investigate what can be done to boost their living standards. READ MORE
Budgets & fiscal events No pain, no gain? Assessing what the Budget means for the UK economy Thursday 31 October 2024 The Resolution Foundation is hosting its traditional ‘morning after the night before’ event to debate and answer questions about the Budget. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its overnight analysis of Autumn Budget 2024, we will hear from leading experts – including the Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes – on the state of the public finances, the decisions taken or ducked by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and what the Budget means for firms, families and the future of the UK economy. READ MORE
Net zero Getting the green light How can we fairly share the costs of decarbonising transport? Thursday 17 October 2024 The next big hurdle on Britain’s path towards a green economy is decarbonising every-day travel. Emissions from getting around – from cars, vans, buses, trains and planes – make up the greatest share of the country’s carbon footprint, and have hardly shrunk in the past decade. So, if we want to go green, we need to overhaul the ways in which families get from A to B. Moving from polluting petrol to cheaper electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring lower income families can access EVs or affordable public transport, and that flying pays its way, are vital if the transition is to achieve widespread public consent and support. READ MORE
Budgets & fiscal events· Economy and public finances Tough medicine Assessing the Chancellor’s options in her first Budget Monday 14 October 2024 What tax and spend decisions might the Chancellor consider in order to put the public finances on a more even keel, and what might this mean for family finances? Can the tough medicine in the Budget be squared with the need to kickstart growth? How might the new Government navigate the politics of a post-election Budget? And what could this mean for the rest of the Parliament? READ MORE
Living standards· Pensions & savings Living standards in later life Are auto-enrolled workers saving enough for their retirement? Thursday 10 October 2024 One of the key goals of the Pensions Commission, published almost two decades ago, was to reform pension saving so that more people were encouraged to save enough for a decent income in retirement. The main policy recommendation of the Commission – auto-enrolment – has been rolled out and ramped up since then, and in … Continued READ MORE
Brexit & trade Rebooting Brexit Opportunities and challenges from resetting UK-EU trade relations Wednesday 9 October 2024 Britain has left the EU almost five years ago, and the economic damage – particularly when it comes to trade – is now clear. The new Government has put resetting UK-EU relations at the heart of its growth mission. But the concrete actions announced so far are unlikely to make much difference. A far more ambitious approach to rebooting our trading relations will be needed to really shift the economic dial. READ MORE
Structurally Unsound Social inequalities in the mid-2020s Tuesday 8 October 2024 The UK has made progress in addressing societal inequalities, but continues to be shaped by interlinked structural disparities. That includes those related to gender, race, class, sexuality, age and disability. Five years ago, the Resolution Foundation and UCL collaborated on a commission exploring the interactions between these inequalities. Since then, the UK has gone through significant challenges, including a pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis, so how have UK inequalities evolved? READ MORE
Party Conferences 2024 Resolution Foundation fringe events at Conservative and Labour Party Conferences Monday 23 September 2024 LABOUR: Better work across Britain: How can Labour improve pay and conditions for low earners? Monday 23rd September | 6:30 – 7:30pm The new Labour Government has proposed a broad range of employment reforms, which could amount to the biggest shake-up of UK workplaces in a generation. From greater protection against unfair dismissal to new … Continued READ MORE
Economic growth A build-up economic strategy How much growth could the Government’s reforms deliver? Thursday 19 September 2024 The past 15 years of economic stagnation has caused families’ living standards to flatline, and the new Government is right to put ‘kickstarting’ growth at the heart of its agenda. Already, Ministers have set out what many of their pro-growth reforms will be – from reforming planning rules to delivering 1.5 million homes, to setting … Continued READ MORE
Housing Building Blocks Can the Government hit its housing targets? Thursday 12 September 2024 The new Government has set an ambitious target of delivering 1.5 million new homes over a five-year period – at a rate that hasn’t been achieved since the 1960s – and has put planning reform at the heart of its agenda. But successive governments have aimed high, but delivered low, when it comes to housebuilding. … Continued READ MORE
