Resolution Foundation Podcasts

The rising prevalence of mental health problems among young people over recent decades is becoming increasingly concerning. While evidently distressing for the young people and their families, periods of poor mental health can also have significant detrimental impacts on their education and job prospects. Increasing support provided in schools and universities has gone some way to address this – but gaps remain, particularly in colleges and workplaces, while young people who want to return to education once their health has improved can often struggle. How has the prevalence of mental health problems in young people changed in recent years? Which cohorts in particular are most likely to experience declines in mental health? How can periods of poor mental health affect young people’s education and labour market outcomes? And what support should policymakers put in place to help young people into good-quality jobs? The Resolution Foundation – as part of the Young people’s future health inquiry, in partnership w

An election is coming, and therefore so are tax cuts in the Budget on 6th March. But the size of those tax cuts are dependent on the amount of fiscal room for manoeuvre the Chancellor has. And their shape will reflect where his political and economic priorities lie. Plus tax cuts come in a context of tax rises already announced, and spending cuts pencilled in for after the election. Has the economic outlook changed over recent months? How much fiscal wriggle room might the Chancellor get from the Office for Budget for Responsibility? Should the priority be announcing tax cuts, or scrapping planned spending cuts? And will Budget ’24 make the slightest bit of difference to the election to come? 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 the Foundation’s Budget preview, we will hear from leading experts on what’s likely to be in it and where that leaves the election, and the outlook for whoeve

Britain is an open economy, and has become more open over recent decades – despite the impact of Brexit and ‘slowbalisation’. But the quantity and type of goods and services we trade isn’t the only thing that has shifted. So has what we consume and where we work. All of these shifts affect our exposure to trade, from its day to day flows to occasional sudden shocks. Yet we pay next to no attention to these issues, which are critical to our living standards. How has globalisation changed the country’s exposure to the gains, and risks, from trade? Who is most affected, and how much does it matter for their living standards? How does trade affect us as consumers, and as workers? And what might the impact of future trade shocks be? 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 new research on how changing trade patterns have affected our living standards, we will hear from leading experts on what

British households aren’t saving enough. Pensions auto-enrolment has got far more of us saving for retirement, but too many of us are not on track for a comfortable old age. More immediately, too few of us have access to rainy-day pots to help us through an unexpected shock. Traditional approaches to encourage people to build up this kind of savings, focused on tax incentives, haven’t worked. And there are tensions not only between saving more for retirement or to boost financial resilience today, but also with consumption that has been squeezed badly during the cost of living crisis. How do we manage the trade-offs between saving and consumption? Can we save more for our pensions, without leaving people with even less rainy day savings? And what lessons can we learn from approaches that have worked and led to Brits saving more? The Resolution Foundation – in partnership with the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust – hosted an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a pres

In recent decades age has replaced class as one of the key determinants of a voter’s values and voting behaviour. But these trends never sit still, especially as issues – from Europe to the environment, and the economy – rise and fall in terms of their electoral salience. We know that the next election will be very different to the last election. But the issue terrain on which the election will be fought, and what that means for different types of voters, is still up for grabs. What issues are most salient for different age cohorts, and how might it have changed since the last election? To what extent do other voter characteristics like income, education status and housing tenure play a role, both in how people vote, and whether they vote at all? And what might be the generational battle lines in the coming General Election? The Resolution Foundation hosted an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from new research on intergenera

The worst of the cost of living crisis appears to be behind us, with inflation more than halving since its peak. But 2024 may not be plain sailing economically, and it certainly won’t be politically with an election in store. While wages are at last growing faster than prices, economic growth has flatlined while taxes, and housing costs, are rising. Meanwhile, the outlook for the public finances is unstable, as politicians try to tempt voters with tax and spending commitments in the run up to the election. With the economy set to be the key election battleground for the first time since 2015, how households feel about their financial prospects, and that of the country as a whole, will matter hugely. How is the cost-of-living crisis likely to evolve in 2024? What economic challenges and opportunities – for households, businesses and the country – can we expect in the year ahead? What role will the economy play in the coming general election – and what aspects of it will different parties want to focus on? The

Inflation is down, but Britain’s cost-of-living crisis is still very much with us. The legacy of previous price rises for energy and food are now combining with a new pressure: housing. Private rents are rising at their fastest rate in over a decade, while the impact of higher interest rates is still feeding through into mortgages. But there is a glimmer of hope in pay packets, which are growing again in real terms after another painful squeeze. How are the twin trends of rising housing costs and rebounding pay being felt? How much variation do these averages hide – and is it the same people seeing their rents surge and pay rise? Are renters or those with a mortgage being harder hit? And what does this all mean for the next stage of the cost-of-living crisis? 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 latest cost-of-living survey, we will hear from leading experts on how Britain’s lates

The goal of a new economic strategy is not a somewhat richer, somewhat fairer, version of the UK’s stagnant status quo, but a more enduring shift in direction; economic change will have to be embraced and steered. And yet despite popular claims that change is speeding up, it is slowing down; the reallocation of labour between sectors is at its lowest level in over 90 years. Panel discussion on 'Steering economic change' at the final report conference for The Economy 2030 Inquiry. Speakers: Gregory Thwaites, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times Professor David Edgerton, Professor of History at King’s College London Stephanie Flanders, Head of Bloomberg Economics Lord David Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation (Chair) Read the report: https://economy2030.resolutionfoundation.org/reports/ending-stagnation/  View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/ending-stagnation/ 

Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer MP, in conversation with Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, at the final report conference for The Economy 2030 Inquiry. The UK has great strengths, but is a decade and a half into a period of stagnation. The combination of slow growth and high inequality is proving toxic for low- and middle-income Britain. The result is a country falling behind its peers, where taxes, rather than wages, are rising, and living standards were under strain long before the cost of living crisis struck. The task facing the UK is to embark on a new path. A new economic strategy for Britain must leverage rather than downplay its strengths, confront rather than ignore its weaknesses, face-up to rather than wish-away trade-offs, and align rather than silo agendas stretching from industrial policy to tax reform and the net zero transition. Over the past three years, the Resolution Foundation has been collaborating with the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE on The Eco

For poorer and middle-income families today, it is not just low growth but also the skewed way in which it is shared, that produces stagnation. Indeed, low growth and high inequality means typical households in Britain are 9 per cent poorer than their French counterparts, while our low-income families are 27 per cent poorer. Panel discussion on 'Getting inequality down' at the final report conference of The Economy 2030 Inquiry. Speakers: Lindsay Judge, Research Director at the Resolution Foundation Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales Christina McAnea, General Secretary of UNISON Andy Haldane, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts Gavin Kelly, Chair of the Resolution Foundation (Chair) Read the report: https://economy2030.resolutionfoundation.org/reports/ending-stagnation/  View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/ending-stagnation/ 

The UK has many strengths, from world-class universities and creative industries to high employment. But having grown more quickly than most advanced economies from the 1990s to the mid-2000s, the UK has been in relative decline ever since: the average productivity gap with France, Germany and the US doubled, to 18 per cent, between 2008 and 2022. Panel discussion on 'Getting growth up' at the final report conference of The Economy 2030 Inquiry. Speakers: Emily Fry, Economist at the Resolution Foundation Dr Swati Dhingra, Associate Professor of Economics at CEP LSE Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council Dame Sharon White, Chair of the John Lewis Partnership Professor Diane Coyle, Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge University Dr Anna Valero, Distinguished Policy Fellow at CEP LSE (Chair) Read the report: https://economy2030.resolutionfoundation.org/reports/ending-stagnation/  View the event slides: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/ending-stagnation/ 

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP, in conversation with Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, at the final report conference for The Economy 2030 Inquiry. The UK has great strengths, but is a decade and a half into a period of stagnation. The combination of slow growth and high inequality is proving toxic for low- and middle-income Britain. The result is a country falling behind its peers, where taxes, rather than wages, are rising, and living standards were under strain long before the cost of living crisis struck. The task facing the UK is to embark on a new path. A new economic strategy for Britain must leverage rather than downplay its strengths, confront rather than ignore its weaknesses, face-up to rather than wish-away trade-offs, and align rather than silo agendas stretching from industrial policy to tax reform and the net zero transition. Over the past three years, the Resolution Foundation has been collaborating with the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE on The E

Presentation by Resolution Foundation Chief Executive, Torsten Bell, at the final report conference for The Economy 2030 Inquiry. The UK has great strengths, but is a decade and a half into a period of stagnation. The combination of slow growth and high inequality is proving toxic for low- and middle-income Britain. The result is a country falling behind its peers, where taxes, rather than wages, are rising, and living standards were under strain long before the cost of living crisis struck. The task facing the UK is to embark on a new path. A new economic strategy for Britain must leverage rather than downplay its strengths, confront rather than ignore its weaknesses, face-up to rather than wish-away trade-offs, and align rather than silo agendas stretching from industrial policy to tax reform and the net zero transition. Over the past three years, the Resolution Foundation has been collaborating with the Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE on The Economy 2030 Inquiry, funded by the Nuffield Foundatio

This panel discussed the role of social innovation and investment in bringing about good work in the UK, and the role of foundations and action-oriented researchers to turn this agenda into reality. Chair – Gavin Kelly, Chair of the Resolution Foundation Danyal Sattar, CEO of Big Issue Invest Anna Thomas, Director of the Institute for the Future of Work Paul Kissack, CEO of Joseph Rowntree Foundation Watch the whole conference: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/workertech-conference/ 

This panel discussed the current status of the labour market enforcement landscape, how technology can be used to enhance worker power for low-paid or precarious workers, and how unions can make the most of technology opportunities. Chair – Klara Skrivankova, Director of Programmes at Trust for London Hannah Slaughter, Senior Economist at Resolution Foundation Kate Dearden, Head of Research, Policy and External Relations at Community Union Jeegar Kakkad, Director at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Emma Back, Co-founder at Equal Care Coop Watch the whole conference: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/workertech-conference/ 

This panel discussed the current landscape for training and skills, how tech can be used to ensure workers in low-paying jobs can access upskilling and reskilling, and the biggest barriers to workers using tech for training. Chair – Danielle Walker-Palmour, Director of Friends Provident Foundation Helen Gironi, Director of Ventures at Ufi Ventures Claudine Adeyemi, CEO and co-founder of Earlybird Louise Murphy, Economist at Resolution Foundation Watch the whole conference: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/workertech-conference/ 

This panel focused on the opportunities and threats of using tech in the world of low-paid work, in particular for working conditions and training, and the role that social and impact investors can play in supporting WorkerTech. Chair – Sarah O’Connor, Columnist at the Financial Times Sherry Coutu, Chair of WorkFinder Stephen Muers, CEO of Big Society Capital Anna Maybank, CEO and co-founder of Breakroom Andrew Pakes, Deputy General Secretary at Prospect Union Watch the whole conference: https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/events/workertech-conference/ 

The economy is set to be a defining feature of the run in to next General Election. Inflation is falling, but so too is consumer confidence. Tax revenues are going up, but NHS waiting lists aren’t coming down. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor will be navigating these short-term challenges, but also addressing longer-term questions about Britain’s weak growth and strained public finances. What is the latest outlook for the UK economy ahead of the General Election next year? To what extent did the Chancellor balance pressure on the public finances with political pressure to please voters? How might the Chancellor’s decisions improve economic growth or boost living standards? And what does the likely penultimate fiscal event before the UK goes to the polls tell us about the economic battleground that the next General Election will be fought over? The morning after the Autumn Statement, the Resolution Foundation is hosting an event to discuss these issues and more. Following a presentation from Foundation s

Low productivity is the foundational cause of Britain’s recent economic malaise, and raising it is a top priority for policy makers. Public and private investment in research and development is a key route to boosting productivity and future economic growth. But businesses often complain that policy makers are failing to create an environment that encourages private investment. After the ONS revision how much are we now spending on R&D? How does our recent performance compare with other advanced economies? What barriers do we need to overcome to boost R&D spending? And how can it align it with a new economic strategy for the UK focused on boosting growth? The Resolution Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology are co-hosting an in-person and interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions, as part of the Nuffield Foundation-funded Economy 2030 Inquiry. We will hear from leading experts on how R&D currently fits in the UK’s economic plans, and where it might fit into a futu

Advanced economies across the globe have experienced a series of unprecedented economic shocks since the start of the century. But they have not affected all generations equally. The disproportionate impact on the financial wellbeing of younger people has sparked concerns about generational fairness on both sides of the Atlantic. Fifteen years on from the global financial crisis, its impact is still being felt by the young, and the not-so-young-anymore, across Europe and America. How have the living standards of millennials, boomers and Gen Xers fared on either side of the Atlantic? Have British generations been permanently scarred, or are they bouncing back? How have different cohorts coped with soaring housing costs, inflated asset prices, and wages that have barely budged in 15 years? And how can today’s working population expect to be supported in retirement, as the state struggles to reconfigure itself around an ageing population? The Resolution Foundation is hosting an in-person and interactive webinar