Monthly Archives: March 2015

The Resolution Foundation’s chief executive, Gavin Kelly, remarked last week: All parties are framing the deficit as a fiscal choice. They have said very little about productivity. LSE’s John Van Reenen said something similar in his review of the budget: It … Continue reading →

Despite the usual post budget hullabaloo, the only thing remarkable about Wednesday’s announcements was just how little the overall picture has changed. As Gemma Tetlow of the IFS commented, when it comes to tax and spending the giveaways are mostly matched by the … Continue reading →

George Osborne has eased off on austerity, say the headlines. The targets he announced in yesterday’s budget are nowhere near as severe as the ones he came up with just before Christmas. His decision not to go for such a big surplus in 2020 has … Continue reading →

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) published its Growth Through People report recently. It’s a wide-ranging review of the UK labour market which brings together lot of useful information in one place and highlights the trends we have seen over the past … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s Resolution Foundation’s report on living standards showed how the post-recession pay squeeze had affected the pay of different groups. It found that younger workers had seen the biggest reduction in median pay while older workers had got off lightly by … Continue reading →

Small businesses are the backbone of Britain or the lifeblood of the economy. Whatever the metaphor, it’s rare to hear politicians do anything other than heap praise on them. Last month, Lord Young proclaimed a “golden age of small business” when commenting on the … Continue reading →

Thanks to all who turned up to the celebration of this blog’s 8th birthday last night. We got a good crowd and it was great to meet some of the people who read my ramblings. I’m sorry I didn’t get to … Continue reading →

A couple of people have asked me if tomorrow’s celebratory drink is still on. It is. Details here: Date: 5 March 2015 Time: 17.00 Venue: The Loft Bar, The Parcel Yard, King’s Cross http://www.parcelyard.co.uk As I said before, it’s nothing … Continue reading →