UK’s first major innovation partnership focused on using new technologies to improve workers’ pay, prospects and power launches today

The Resolution Foundation has brought together leading charitable foundations, social investors and businesses to launch The Workertech Partnership – the UK’s first-ever innovation programme to support social entrepreneurs and start-ups focused on improving conditions and career paths for workers locked in low-paid and precarious employment. The £1.3 million partnership opens today (Tuesday) for applications from … Continued

Wales should be centre-stage in attempts to ‘level up’ Britain

Wales needs to move centre-stage in the UK’s ‘levelling up’ agenda as its strong performance on jobs has not been matched on pay packets, leaving the country struggling to reduce its living standards gap with the rest of the UK, according to a major new Resolution Foundation report published today (Wednesday). The report – From … Continued

More than one-in-three workers are worried about catching Covid-19 at work

More than one-in-three (35 per cent) workers have an active concern about the transmission of Covid-19 in their workplace – with low-paid workers most likely to be worried, but least likely to raise concerns or see their complaints resolved – according to new Resolution Foundation research published today (Tuesday). Failed Safe? – supported by Unbound … Continued

Chancellor right to extend support for self-employed workers, but many who need help remain excluded

Commenting on the Chancellor’s announcement today (Monday) that he has extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) through to February, with an 80 per cent replacement rate in November followed by a 40 per cent replacement rate in December and January (with a maximum cash grant of £5,160), Hannah Slaughter, Economist at the Resolution Foundation, … Continued

One-in-five young people and over one-in-five BAME workers who were furloughed during lockdown have since lost their jobs

Around one-in-five young people, and over one-in-five black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers, who were furloughed during lockdown have since their lost jobs – and just one-in-three young people who have lost their jobs have been able to find new work – according to a major new Resolution Foundation report published today (Wednesday). Jobs, … Continued

Self-Employment Support Scheme pays out over £1.3 billion to thriving businesses, but nothing to 500,000 left without work

The Government’s £12.7 billion Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has been terribly targeted at those in need – with over 400,000 workers claiming support despite not losing any income during the crisis, while almost 500,000 people still without work have received no support at all. This is according to a major new Resolution Foundation report … Continued

Covid-19
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Living standards

Chancellor rightly slashes employer contributions to make part-time working scheme fit for purpose

The Chancellor has sharply, and rightly, changed course to tackle the central flaw in the Job Support Scheme (JSS), slashing the share of wages for hours not worked that employers must pay from 33 to 5 per cent, the Resolution Foundation said today (Friday). Today’s announcement will hugely increase the incentive for firms that are … Continued

Decisive action needed to tackle significant pay penalties faced by black, Asian and ethnic minority workers

Commenting on new ONS data published today (Monday) highlighting pay gaps between different ethnic groups, George Bangham, Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “While progress has been made in reducing ethnicity pay gaps for some groups, such as Indian and Bangladeshi workers, gaps have actually got larger for others, such as Black Caribbean, and White … Continued

Policy makers should have spent the summer planning for a second wave, rather than pinning hopes on a V

Commenting on the latest ONS GDP figures for August, James Smith, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Disappointing growth figures for August confirm that Britain was never on course for a V-shaped recovery. “With further restrictions coming this Autumn, the Chancellor is setting out fresh economic support this afternoon. This should include local furloughing … Continued

Covid has created a U-shaped crisis as majority of young adults and pensioners stopped working

RF warns of a lost ‘covid generation’, with youth unemployment at risk of reaching its 1980s peak

Hopes of a V-shaped recovery have given way to the reality of a U-shaped crisis, with young adults and young pensioners most likely to have stopped working during the pandemic, according to the Resolution Foundation’s annual Intergenerational Audit published today (Thursday). The report – supported by the Nuffield Foundation – offers the first comprehensive assessment … Continued

Today’s MAC report is the latest reminder of the damage caused by appalling pay and conditions in the care sector

Commenting on the Migration Advisory Committee’s report published this morning, Kathleen Henehan, Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Today’s MAC report is the latest reminder of the damage caused by appalling pay and conditions in the care sector. Expanding our social care workforce could help our covid rsponse, provide vital employment opportunities for those … Continued

The Job Support Scheme will not support enough jobs – risking a major living standards squeeze

The Chancellor yesterday set out a timely renewed package of economic support. But with big unemployment increases still on the cards, and design flaws in post-furloughing job support, Britain is on course for a major squeeze on living standards in the months ahead, the Resolution Foundation said today (Friday) in its overnight analysis of the … Continued

Job Support Scheme moves jobs cliff edge to January and sets up difficult conversations between firms and workers

The Chancellor’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will help stem but not halt the sharp rise in unemployment this Autumn, but avoidable design flaws will reduce its impact, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the Winter Economic Plan today (Thursday). With public restrictions being ramped up, the Chancellor is right to have announced fresh emergency … Continued

Chancellor must use his Winter Economic Plan to shift from phasing out to ramping back up support for firms and workers

Commenting on the Chancellor’s announcement today (Wednesday) that he has cancelled an Autumn Budget and will instead set out a Winter Economic Plan tomorrow, Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: “With the Prime Minister having ramped up restrictions to control the spread of the virus, it’s right that the Chancellor now shifts … Continued

Phasing in restrictions while simultaneously phasing out support is not a sustainable approach to the difficult months ahead

Commenting on the Government announcement today (Tuesday) of new public health restrictions to curb the rise in covid-19 infections, Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: “Phasing in restrictions to control the virus, while simultaneously phasing out support for firms and workers, isn’t a sustainable approach to the difficult months ahead. A new … Continued

UK economy experienced a Summer recovery, but a tough Autumn lies ahead

Commenting on the latest GDP figures for July published today (Friday), which shows that month-on-month growth was 6.6 per cent, but that monthly GDP was still 11.7 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels, James Smith Research Director at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The UK economy continued to rebound over the Summer as lockdown restrictions eased. … Continued

The Chancellor must reconsider his plans to swiftly phase out economic support given the painful reality that the economic crisis is here to stay

Commenting on the Treasury Committee’s second interim report of its inquiry into the Economic Impact of Coronavirus, which sets a wide range policy recommendations for the Chancellor ahead of his upcoming Budget, Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: “This authoritative account of the economic impact of coronavirus should be required reading for … Continued

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