The long view of living standards

Britain is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that is squeezing the incomes of households across the country. That crisis is particularly challenging because it comes against a backdrop of low-income growth and high inequality. Turning these worrying trends around is a key task for the 2020s, with history providing an important guide to how it might be done.

Does economic growth feed through into household incomes? How important are wages, employment, taxes, benefits and housing costs in explaining changes? Why has inequality remained high for decades despite falling unemployment and a rising minimum wage? And how can the lessons of history inform a strategy for higher incomes and lower inequality in the future?

The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from our annual Living Standards Audit, we will hear from leading experts on what these findings tell us about the state of living standards and inequality in modern Britain, and how to foster stronger growth in the future.

The event will be open for people to physically attend, alongside being broadcast via YouTube and the Resolution Foundation website. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event via Slido.