IFS Zooms In: The Economy

Debates about inequality often focus on inequalities between people. But what about inequalities between firms? Recent decades have seen the emergence of giant, multinational firms - the FAANGs of this world. But over 40% of registered businesses in the UK have less than 10 employees. What do we mean when we talk about inequality between firms? Are inequalities between firms limiting UK business d...

Over the past decades, women have drawn closer to men in a variety of areas - education, university degrees and workforce participation. But, women still earn less on average than men. In this episode, we ask why this pay gap opens up, whether things have improved in recent years, and talk about one key factor affecting women’s pay - kids. Joining us are Alison Andrew, Associate Professor of Econo...

Since 2019, we’ve all heard a lot about levelling up. It makes sense that our politics is centered around it - of all types of inequality, the public seems most concerned about the geographical sort.  But do the numbers back this up? How much of Britain’s inequality is generated by differing fortunes in different parts of the country? And what might an effective “levelling up” agenda look lik...

We see inequalities all the time, whether at the school gates, the hospital, when travelling round the country and definitely when turning on the news.  But why should we care about inequality? What has happened to inequality over recent decades? And can government do anything about it? We speak to Professor Sir Angus Deaton, an economist who is an expert on inequality and leads the IFS-Deato...

Inequalities are one of the defining issues of the modern age.  We see inequalities all the time, whether at the school gates, the hospital, when travelling round the country and definitely when turning on the news. Over the next month on the IFS Zooms In, we are bringing you a mini-series looking at inequality in Britain. We’ll be looking at a range of issues, from what’s happened to inequal...

This week, we're bringing you an episode from the archives, looking at the future of public sector pensions. We'll be back in two weeks with a new episode. ----------------------------------- In an era where those in the private sector have seen their pension provision decrease, pensions in the public sector continue to look generous. But is this sustainable? Should we change the balance between p...

Over the past 13 years, successive governments have pledged to bring immigration down, but have failed to do so. Recently, the government announced that net immigration for 2022 was around 600,000. How many people are migrating and where are they coming from? How has Brexit shifted the dynamics of migration? What is the impact of migration on the wages of native-born workers? And what could govern...

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, the topic of working from home has been everywhere and has seemingly affected everything. From big companies calling workers back to the office and city centre food chains struggling, to house price jumps in rural areas and zoom fatigue, the transition to work from home is one of the biggest shifts in working patterns in the last century. But what evi...

Over the past year, the UK has seen very high inflation, affecting households and businesses across the country. But what is actually wrong with inflation? How do we measure it? And what is the way out of it? We speak to Chris Giles, economics editor at the Financial Times and former IFS economist, and Peter Levell, Associate Director at IFS, both inflation experts. Find out more: https://ifs.org....

From declining homeownership rates and low pension saving, to high numbers of self-employed people with no pensions at all, it seems that future generations face steep challenges in retirement. Recently, IFS launched a new review of the pensions system, supported by the Abdrn Financial Fairness Trust, to look into these issues and seek policy solutions to help politicians navigate these challenges...

To many, the start of the new tax year in April will seem quiet, more of the same with no big changes to the tax system announced by the government. But hidden beneath the surface lie a series of stealthy tax rises - freezes to thresholds which coupled with rising inflation are projected to raise around £30 billion for the Treasury over the next few years and hit household finances hard. Here to r...

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt recently outlined his Spring Budget, with big announcements on childcare, corporation tax, pensions and more. We dive into the detail and bring you our expert analysis on the Budget. Joining us are Ben Zaranko, public finances expert, Christine Farquharson, childcare expert and Helen Miller, tax expert. Find out more: www.ifs.org.uk/podcast Become a member: https://ifs.org.u...

From price caps and pipelines to price guarantees and LPG, the rising cost of energy has been central to understanding the economy over the past year. As we come out the cold winter period, we ask whether high energy prices are here to stay? What is happening with the energy market? Should we expect further price shocks? And can we decarbonise our energy supply while keeping bills affordable? Join...

From non-doms to offshore investment vehicles - how the rich are taxed, and how they avoid it, has been all over the headlines. But who are the 1%? How much tax do they pay? And should government tax them more? Joining us are Helen Miller, Deputy Director at IFS and our Head of Tax, and Dan Neidle, Founder of Tax Policy Associates and a former tax lawyer. Find out more: www.ifs.org.uk/podcast Beco...

With COVID, strikes, staff shortages, an enormous waiting list and an ever-ageing population (amongst other issues), the NHS is coming under greater pressure than ever. In this episode, we take a look at the state of the NHS across a range of areas. How is the service doing at the moment? Will we see a pay settlement for nurses and other workers? And are there any reasons to hope that better days...

Two years ago, in the depths of lockdown, the future for young people looked bleak. Policymakers worried about an unemployment crisis, lost career opportunities and a generation of young people missing out on key milestones. The reality - at least on the jobs front - is far rosier than many predicted. But is it all good news for those who graduated during COVID and entered the jobs market during t...

Happy New Year! After a tumultuous 2022, we look to the year ahead and hope for calmer waters. Joining us on our voyage into the future are Dr. Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon, Director of the UK in a Changing Europe. From strikes and immigration, to Budgets and Brexit, we offer our best analysis of the situation we're currently in, and what we expect to hap...

Last week, the Chancellor gave his autumn statement. In the run-up, many expected significant cuts to public spending, ushering in a new era of austerity. But did these anticipated cuts happen? How important is it to bring down debt? And after a decade of cuts in the 2010s, how are departments faring? This week, we speak with Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government, and Carl...

This week, we're bringing you the IFS Annual Lecture, given this year by Baroness Minouche Shafik. In it she talks about what a new social contract for the 21st century would look like. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/events/ifs-annual-lecture-baroness-minouche-shafik Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a fall in the employment rate in the UK, driven by a rise in the rate of economic inactivity rather than in unemployment.  What has been happening to older workers since the pandemic? Why are they leaving the workforce? Should government work to bring them back? We speak to Jonathan Cribb, Associate Director at IFS, and Beatrice Boi...

The UK economy faces a series of challenging headwinds - high inflation, higher energy prices and a 'terms of trade' shock. These are squeezing household budgets and pushing up the cost of living. The adverse market reaction to the Chancellor's 'mini-budget' on the 23rd September has created further difficulties. In this year's Green Budget, our flagship annual report funded by the Nuffield Founda...

In recent weeks, the new Prime Minister has argued that the UK has been too focused on redistribution. But what role does the benefit system play in redistribution? Has this changed over recent decades? And should benefits be uprated in line with inflation? Joining us are Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform, and Tom Waters, IFS Senior Economist. Find out more: https://www.ifs.org.uk/podcast Beco...

Workers in the public sector have seen their pay squeezed over the last decade, and with inflation on the rise, disputes over pay look set to dominate the headlines this autumn. Across the public sector, we're hearing stories of hiring issues, staff retention and squeezed budgets. These issues all affect the morale of the workforce and the delivery of public services. What will the government do?...

As Liz Truss takes office, she is faced with a series of interlocking challenges - rising inflation, an energy crisis and a cost of living crisis. How can she tackle these in the short-term and put the country back on surer footing in the long-term? Paul speaks to IFS economists Ben Zaranko and Xiaowei Xu to assess the challenges facing the new Prime Minister. Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/pod...

In an era where those in the private sector have seen their pension provision decrease, pensions in the public sector continue to look generous. But is this sustainable? Should we change the balance between pay and pensions for those in the public sector? What does the future hold for public sector pensions? This week, we speak to Lord Hutton of Furness , cabinet minister in the last Labour g...