Jobs market enters new phase as firms go on hiring spree but UK still has 4.2 million ‘Covid employment gap’ to fill 18 May 2021 The second highest monthly increase in payrolled employment on record, coupled with vacancies returning close to pre-crisis levels, show that the labour market is entering a new phase as it reopens and recovers – but a return to its pre-pandemic health is still a long way off, the Resolution Foundation said today in response to … Continued READ MORE
UK facing a ‘decisive decade’ of change that the country is neither used to, nor prepared for Lack of a renewed economic strategy for the 2020s risks ‘Italian style’ relative decline 18 May 2021 The UK is facing a ‘decisive decade’ of change as five seismic economic shifts – the Covid aftermath, Brexit, the Net Zero transition, an older population and rapid technological change – come together. Our economic strategy must be rebuilt in light of these shifts, and the opportunities and challenges they create, or we risk leaving … Continued READ MORE
Double jobs and mental health crisis facing young people risks outlasting the pandemic 13 May 2021 Young people have been at the centre of two interlinked crises during the pandemic, experiencing the largest employment hit and sharpest increase in mental health conditions of any age group, according to a new report published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation. The report Double Trouble – supported by the Health Foundation – examines the … Continued READ MORE
Pandemic leading to a ‘race for space’ – and soaring house prices in least populated areas 1 May 2021 Press release from the Resolution Foundation Pandemic leading to a ‘race for space’ – and soaring house prices in least populated areas House prices in the least-densely populated areas of the UK have risen almost twice as much as those in the most-densely populated areas over the past year, which reflects both the pandemic prompting … Continued READ MORE
Radical policy changes during Covid-19 crisis should prompt rethink about Britain’s welfare state 29 April 2021 Radical changes to the UK’s social security safety net during the pandemic should prompt a wider public debate about its successes and failures, and how Britain’s post-pandemic welfare system can be further improved, according to a new Resolution Foundation report published today (Thursday). With the crisis prompting the Government to introduce radical new policies, such … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19 crisis has caused the biggest annual employment fall for older workers since the 1980s 26 April 2021 The Covid-19 crisis has led to the biggest annual employment fall for workers over 50 since the 1980s, according to a new report published today (Monday) by the Resolution Foundation. The report A U-Shaped Crisis – supported by the Nuffield Foundation – examines the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on older workers, and how … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19 pandemic – and efforts to fight it – send borrowing to over £300 billion 23 April 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has sent public sector borrowing for the year 2020-21 to £303.1 billion – almost six times as large as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) pre-pandemic forecast back in March 2020 (£54.8 billion) – the Resolution Foundation said today (Friday) in response to the latest ONS public sector finance figures for March. … Continued READ MORE
UK households suffered Covid-19 income losses greater than those seen in France or Germany – and have taken on more debt in response 21 April 2021 UK households are far more likely to have experienced a severe income shock during the Covid-19 crisis than their French and German counterparts, and are more likely to have taken on additional debt in response, according to a new report published today (Wednesday) by the Resolution Foundation. The report After Shocks – supported by JPMorgan … Continued READ MORE
The UK has a 6.2 million ‘Covid employment gap’ to fill 20 April 2021 The UK has a 6.2 million ‘Covid employment gap’ of lower employment and furloughed employees who need to get back to work, highlighting the scale of the economic task ahead of us, the Resolution Foundation said today in response to the latest ONS labour market statistics today (Tuesday). The latest data showed a labour market … Continued READ MORE
Recent education leavers and young Black workers hardest hit by Covid-19 job shock 14 April 2021 Press release from the Resolution Foundation Recent education leavers and young Black workers hardest hit by Covid-19 job shock Young people have experienced a sharp rise in unemployment during the pandemic – despite widespread furloughing and a rise in studying – with the increase fastest among recent education-leavers and young Black people, according to new … Continued READ MORE
Ground-breaking new Inquiry will help post-pandemic Britain successfully navigate a decade of unprecedented economic change 31 March 2021 The 2020s will see the UK experience unprecedented economic change – driven by the triple shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and the transition to a Net Zero future – but the country lacks a plan to successfully navigate the decade ahead. This is the challenge posed in a ground-breaking new collaboration between the Resolution … Continued READ MORE
Pre-pandemic Britain experienced a mini living standards boom – alongside rising child poverty 25 March 2021 Typical household incomes grew at fastest rate since 2001-02 in the year running up to the pandemic, but the proportion of children living in poverty also increased, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in the response to the latest Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics. The latest data shows that typical household incomes grew by … Continued READ MORE
4.7 million people were on furlough at the end of February 25 March 2021 In response to today’s new HMRC figures on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS), which show that 4.7 million workers were furloughed (either fully or partially) at the end of February this year, Daniel Tomlinson, Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “4.7 million employees were furloughed at the end of last month, showing just … Continued READ MORE
Employment falls but furlough and lockdown combined see job market enter 2021 in deep freeze 23 March 2021 A difficult end to 2020 saw employment fall by 148,000, but the Job Retention Scheme has prevented an 7.9 per cent fall in hours worked feeding through into further job losses in early 2021, the Resolution Foundation said (today) in response to the latest labour market statistics. The employment rate fell by 0.3 per cent … Continued READ MORE
Half of workers experienced a real-terms pay cut last year, despite official data suggesting fastest pay growth in nearly two decades Sharp pay deterioration among younger workers risks longer-term scarring 22 March 2021 Pay growth was far weaker and more volatile last year than official headline data suggests, with half of workers experiencing a year-on-year real-terms pay cut last Autumn, according to the Resolution Foundation’s latest quarterly Earnings Outlook published today (Monday). The latest Outlook examines what has really happened to pay packets during the pandemic last year, … Continued READ MORE
The Covid effect – £186bn of income support, 25 million jabs, and around 25,000 avoidable deaths in the winter wave 18 March 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic, twelve months on from the first lockdown on 23 March, has been marked by big successes on income support and vaccines, repeated failures on lockdown that have cost lives and deepened the economic crisis, and a legacy of inequality that needs to be addressed in the recovery, according to new Resolution Foundation … Continued READ MORE
Chancellor lays down a big spend today and tax tomorrow Budget – but he may have more to do Parliament set to be second worst for living standards on record 4 March 2021 The Chancellor made the right judgement in yesterday’s bigger than expected Budget, by supporting the recovery in the next two years before turning to raising taxes in the middle of the decade – but he may have more work to do in order to plug gaps in support, tackle the living standards scarring from the … Continued READ MORE
Firms benefit most from Chancellor’s £67bn short-term giveaway, but bear brunt of largest tax rises since the 90s Chancellor gambles that stagnating household incomes won’t hold back the recovery, and cuts spending on public services 3 March 2021 Businesses were at the centre of the Chancellor’s welcome £67bn extension of economic support over the next two years, but are also being asked to contribute most to bring the public finances into balance by the middle of this decade, with the largest rise in corporation tax for half a century, the Resolution Foundation said … Continued READ MORE
Freezing tax thresholds could raise £6bn a year – while protecting lower-income households that have borne brunt of Covid crisis 28 February 2021 Freezing the personal tax allowance at £12,500, and the higher rate threshold at £50,000, for the remainder of the parliament would raise £6bn a year by 2024-25, while protecting lower-income households that have been hardest hit by the crisis, the Resolution Foundation says today. With the Chancellor set to signal his commitment to balancing the … Continued READ MORE
£100 billion Budget stimulus needed to boost Britain’s economic recovery 25 February 2021 The Chancellor should combine a £30 billion extension of emergency Covid support with £70 billion of additional stimulus as part of a £100 billion Budget package to boost Britain’s economic recovery, according to a major new report published today (Thursday) by the Resolution Foundation. How to throw good money after good assesses the latest economic … Continued READ MORE
Rising unemployment is taking a huge toll on young people, even as firms are learning to live with lockdown 23 February 2021 Firms are learning to live with lockdown restrictions, with payrolled employment actually increasing by 83,000 in January, but the crisis is taking its toll as young workers, who should be a priority for Government support, the Resolution Foundation said (today) in response to the latest labour market statistics. The Job Retention Scheme (JRS), currently estimated to … Continued READ MORE
Almost two million workers have not worked for at least six months of the crisis 17 February 2021 Almost two million workers were unemployed or fully furloughed in January – and had been for at least six months – highlighting the scale of lasting damage to the UK’s labour force that will need to be addressed in the Budget, according to major new research published today by the Resolution Foundation. Long Covid in … Continued READ MORE
Covid-19 crisis has seen 450,000 additional families fall behind on their housing payments 16 February 2021 Press release from the Resolution Foundation Over 750,000 families are currently in arrears with their housing payments, and over half (450,000) of these families are likely to have fallen behind as a direct result of the Covid-19 crisis, according to new Resolution Foundation research published today (Tuesday). Getting ahead on falling behind – supported by … Continued READ MORE
700,000 self-employed workers have stopped working entirely during the current lockdown 14 February 2021 Almost one-in-seven (14 per cent) self-employed workers – equivalent to 700,000 workers across the UK – have stopped working entirely during the current lockdown (January) – a 50 per cent increase from the one-in-eleven (9 per cent) self-employed workers who stopped working during the first lockdown in May – according to a major new Resolution … Continued READ MORE
Stronger than expected December growth sees the UK avoid a double dip, but suffer the biggest output fall in over 300 years 12 February 2021 Responding to the latest ONS GDP figures today (Friday), which show that the economy grew by 1.2 per cent in December, and by 1 per cent in the final three months of 2020, but fell by 9.9 per cent over 2020 as a whole (making it the biggest annual economic contraction since 1709), James Smith, Research … Continued READ MORE