Labour survey failing because Brits don’t answer phones anymore, Bank official says Economics The Bank of England’s chief economist has warned that improving official statistics might prove to be a “formidable” challenge due a distinctively British characteristic. For months policymakers have struggled with unreliable data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which has made it very difficult to get a clear picture of the UK’s labour market. [...]
Rachel Reeves puts £240m into new back to work ‘trailblazers’ Economics Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a £240m funding boost for the rollout of local services tasked with getting the long-term sick back into work. Ahead of the Budget, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that tackling rising economic inactivity would be a core economic priority for his government. “We will always help those who cannot support [...]
Labour’s growth push continues with ‘fundamental’ welfare reform promised Economics Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, said that her department would become “a genuine department for work” as the new government attempts to tackle the rise in economic inactivity. “DWP has focused almost entirely on the benefits system, and specifically on implementing Universal Credit,” she said in a speech in Barnsley. “Nowhere near enough [...]
Government plan to get people back into work and tackle economic inactivity announced July 11, 2024 Labour has laid out its first steps to get people back into work as the new government attempts to tackle the worrying rise in economic inactivity.
UK households would be £4,300 richer per year if pay growth had matched Germany and the US June 25, 2024 Households would be £4,300 a year better off if pay growth in the UK had matched average wages in Germany and the US since 2010, according to a new study.
Addressing the rise in long-term sickness could unlock £57bn windfall, research shows June 25, 2024 Reintegrating between half and three-quarters of those who have dropped out of the workforce since 2020 could generate anywhere between £35bn and £57bn over the next five years, the analysis suggests.
Focus on health to cut ballooning welfare bill, new report argues June 20, 2024 The next government should focus on addressing underlying health conditions rather than embarking on a benefits "clampdown", a new report has argued.
Employment support needs to be a ‘top priority’ as long-term sickness hits new record June 11, 2024 New figures out today showed that 9.4m people were economically inactive in the three months to April, up nearly 400,000 on last year, with long-term sickness a major contributor.
Sunak’s clampdown on ‘sick note culture’ is Back to Basics 2.0 – and it may end as badly May 1, 2024 Sunak’s clampdown on 'sick note culture' has the whiff of John Major’s Back to Basics… and risks the same results, writes Simon Neville.
UK firms want tax incentives to invest in employee health amid growing sickness crisis April 30, 2024 The report comes amid a growing debate about the impact of long-term sickness on the UK labour force.