Employment across Britain has reached a fresh high but stubbornly weak pay growth leaves the Bank of England with a tough decision on interest rates when it meets in early August, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest ONS labour marker figures. The UK employment rate rose to a new record … Continued

Net migration grew to 282,000 in 2017 – well below the peak recorded between mid-2014 and mid-2016 – but broadly in line with levels before the financial crisis, the Resolution Foundation said today (Monday) in response to the latest ONS migration figures. The Foundation notes that EU emigration has risen from around 80,000 on the … Continued

Commenting on the latest Quarterly sector accounts published today (Friday) by the ONS, which revised down real household disposable income growth in 2017 from 0.3 per cent to -0.5 per cent, Torsten Bell, Director of the Resolution Foundation, said: “Today’s figures show that the recent period of high inflation, and historically weak pay growth, caused … Continued

Scotland’s household wealth has exceeded £1 trillion for the first time, according to a new report published today (Friday) by the Resolution Foundation. The report ­– The £1 trillion pie: how wealth is shared across Scotland – looks at both the scale of assets in 21st Century Scotland and who holds them. It says that wealth is playing … Continued

Commenting on the Supreme Court judgment today (Wednesday) on the case of Pimlico Plumbers Ltd and another v Smith, Torsten Bell, Director of the Resolution Foundation, said: “The Supreme Court judgment today could have significant implications for many workers that firms see as self-employed contractors and miss out on employment rights like the minimum wage, … Continued

Female unemployment has fallen to a record low of 4.1 per cent but pay growth across the economy continues to disappoint, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market statistics. Overall unemployment remained at 4.2 per cent, while employment remained at a record high of 75.6 per cent. Female … Continued

Ministers should reject a National Insurance rise and consult on a wider range of tax rises  Restoring the path of NHS spending to its historical level of growth will require £20bn of extra borrowing and taxes by the end of the parliament, according to a new report published today (Tuesday) by the Resolution Foundation. However, … Continued

Lack of progression, power and gender imbalance mean policy should go beyond a higher minimum wage Having boosted millions of workers’ pay through the National Living Wage, businesses and government must now look to the new frontiers of low pay, the Resolution Foundation says today (Friday) in its annual flagship Low Pay Britain report. The … Continued

  A new generational contract is needed to tackle the big challenges Britain faces for young and old, covering a better funded NHS and care system, a radically reformed housing market, and a new citizen’s inheritance to boost the prospects of younger generations. This is according to the final report of the Intergenerational Commission published … Continued

Inheritance Tax should be abolished and replaced with a new system that commands greater public support by being fairer to families and harder to avoid, according to a new report published today (Wednesday) by the Resolution Foundation for the Intergenerational Commission. Passing on, the 21st report of the Intergenerational Commission and last before it publishes its … Continued

apprenA major funding boost and business engagement drive is needed to get T levels – new technical qualifications for 16-18 year olds – off the ground and help the neglected majority of young non-graduates who are badly let down by the education system, according to a new report published today (Friday) by the Resolution Foundation. … Continued

Britain’s tight labour market – which has seen unemployment fall to a 43-year low – has curbed the growth of zero hours contracts (ZHCs), the Resolution Foundation said today (Monday) in response to the latest ONS business survey of ZHCs use. The ONS survey, carried out in November 2017, showed that 1.8 million firms used … Continued

Britain has passed a living standards landmark with real pay finally growing again after a 12-month squeeze. And there are was more good news in the jobs market as unemployment fell and employment hit a record high, the Resolution Foundation said today (Tuesday) in response to the latest ONS labour market figures. Real (CPIH-adjusted) average … Continued

  Policy makers need to radically reform the private rental sector to make it fit for raising children and retirement because a generation of young people face the prospect of never owning their own home, according to a new report published today (Tuesday) by the Resolution Foundation for its Intergenerational Commission. Home Improvements sets out … Continued

Indefensible gender pay gaps at the top of companies shouldn’t mean we ignore the fact that women do most of the low-paid work If low-paid jobs were evenly distributed among men and women, the overall gender pay gap would fall by over a fifth (21 per cent), according to new analysis published today (Saturday) by … Continued

  The sharp drop in level 2 apprenticeship starts for workers aged 25+ show that the government reforms are weeding out poorer quality provision, though the fall in starts for young people is a concern, the Resolution Foundation said today (Thursday) in response to the latest figures for apprenticeship starts. The DfE figures show that … Continued

The typical pay rise associated with moving to London for work has increased to 18 per cent, but high housing costs are limiting the overall income gains from moving to a new job in the capital for many, according to the Resolution Foundation’s Earnings Outlook published today (Wednesday). The latest Earnings Outlook looks at prospects for … Continued

  Commenting on the latest Households Below Average Income (HBAI) survey for 2016-17, published  today (Thursday) by the Department for Work and Pensions, Adam Corlett, Senior Economic Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Today’s household income survey – the most comprehensive we have – shows that typical households saw solid income growth of 2 per … Continued

    Britain’s 12-month pay squeeze has finally ended, though public sector workers will have to wait until new higher pay settlements are agreed to see real pay rises, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday) following the latest labour market statistics. Today’s figures show that real average weekly earnings fell by 0.2 per cent in … Continued

Entirely new system genuinely based on a proportion of a property’s value now desirable and feasible Council tax is outdated, regressive, and, despite being notionally based on the value of homes, functions in many ways like a poll tax – exactly the type of tax it was introduced to get away from – said the … Continued

  The Chancellor will need to hope for better forecasts or raise taxes if he’s to stick to his goal of eliminating the deficit and driving significant reductions in debt, while ending the UK’s unprecedented squeeze on public spending. This is according to the Resolution Foundation’s overnight analysis of the Spring Statement 2018 published today … Continued

The Chancellor has set out a ‘Sugar Rush Spring Statement’ – with welcome short-term news on borrowing and growth but the long term challenges of weak growth and pay remain – the Resolution Foundation said today. The Office for Budget Responsibility today delivered a slightly sunnier short-term forecast for the Chancellor, with borrowing for 2017-18 … Continued

Longer term outlook for pay, growth and debt will remain bleak, despite welcome upward revisions The Chancellor is on course to receive a public finance boost of between £7bn and £11bn next week, with the Office for Budget Responsibility expected to deliver a short-term upgrade to the UK’s economic outlook, according to a new report published … Continued

Increase in spending by 2040 will be equivalent to a 15p income tax rise unless other tax revenues are found In a major speech today (Monday), Resolution Foundation Executive Chair Lord David Willetts will warn that Britain faces tough choices about how to pay for rising health and welfare costs in Britain, and who is … Continued