Category: Inequality & poverty

The pandemic has affected the finances of some ethnic groups in the UK more adversely than others. Inequalities in various types of wealth – from home ownership to pensions – have played a key part in driving the economic hardship felt by many minority households. The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the role that wealth can […]

Rising prices are increasing the cost of period products, both for individuals and the charities that support those experiencing period poverty. Demand for free or affordable tampons and pads, as well as the use of hygiene banks, is growing, as budgets are squeezed. The cost of living crisis is contributing to an increase in demand […]

Many Britons believe that success is based on merit. But evidence shows that family background and economic circumstances play a key role in individuals’ opportunities to move up the social ladder. Underestimating the importance of these factors can reinforce existing inequalities. Meritocracy – the idea that an individual’s success should be determined by a combination […]

The technique of ‘nowcasting’ provides insights into how the UK’s distribution of income is changing as a consequence of the pandemic. The key determinant of living standards and the impact on the poorest is what happens in the labour market. It is too soon to say with certainty what will be the overall impact of […]

A year ago, the FTSE 100 stock market index hit its lowest point in almost a decade, diminishing the value of assets held mostly by the wealthy. Twelve months on, it is likely that wealth inequality has gone back to where it was or grown wider than before the crisis. Between the outbreak of the […]

Compared with white British households, ethnic minorities are more likely to live in households with lower levels of total net wealth and income, with fewer people in work. Differences in educational attainment and earnings are important for explaining wealth disparities among minority groups. In recent years, researchers and policy-makers in developed countries have become increasingly […]

A variety of initiatives are seeking to make economics more inclusive as a discipline by broadening the appeal of the subject to potential students, changing their perceptions of what economists do and attracting young people from under-represented groups such as women and ethnic minorities. Economics has gone through a decade of reckoning. Various world events […]

Today is International Women’s Day – and in England, it coincides with the re-opening of schools. Many working mothers will have the most to celebrate in terms of reclaiming their time. But the pandemic has damaged the lives of women of all ages. International Women’s Day comes a year after the pandemic hit the UK […]

Several government measures have sought to protect family incomes in this time of crisis. But there is mounting evidence that the support provided to people most vulnerable to the economic impacts of the pandemic has not been enough to prevent rising hardship. The economic effects of the pandemic are particularly damaging for the most vulnerable […]

The technique of ‘nowcasting’ provides insights into how the UK’s distribution of income is changing as a consequence of the pandemic. The key determinant of living standards and the impact on the poorest is what happens in the labour market. It is too soon to say with certainty what the overall impact of the crisis […]