On 15th March, the government released its Spring Budget. Alice Pugh and Maryna Ramcharan examine the budget’s impact on the West Midlands. The key announcements from the budget and initial analysis can be seen here. This budget is the first budget since the turmoil of the autumn ‘mini budget’ 2022 and the second autumn budget … Continue reading “The Spring Budget 2023: What Does it Mean for the West Midlands?”
The Poorest UK Households are Hit Hardest by the Highest Rate of Firm Failure
With bankruptcies on the rise in the UK, Simon Collinson, Matt Lyons and Huanjia Ma look at the impact of firm failure on the economy, employment and households. Data released by the Insolvency Service at the end of January shows that firm insolvencies, or bankruptcies, in England and Wales reached the highest level since 2009. … Continue reading “The Poorest UK Households are Hit Hardest by the Highest Rate of Firm Failure”
All Our Money: The Impossible Job of Running Birmingham City Council
On 15th March, Stan’s Cafe put on a sold-out performance about how Birmingham City Council spends £3,000,000,000 of our money. The event was held at The Exchange, University of Birmingham. Here’s what we learned from the play. Annoyed about your bins not being picked up again, or the ridiculous number of bollards that just popped … Continue reading “All Our Money: The Impossible Job of Running Birmingham City Council”
Business Support Re-Organisation in England at a Time of Crisis
Mark Hart discusses changes to business support in England and its impact on businesses. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by the University of Birmingham’s City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of the … Continue reading “Business Support Re-Organisation in England at a Time of Crisis”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 17 March 2023
The West Midlands Combined Authority has a boost of £1.5bn for the “Trailblazer” devolution programme as part of the Budget announcements. The Deeper Devolution Deal plans include greater responsibility for affordable housing provision, public transport with the extension of the Metro between Dudley and Brierley Hill, and the retention of business rates. Budget 2023 Amongst … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 17 March 2023”
Key Announcements From the Spring Statement 2023
Wednesday 15th March 2023 was Budget Day. Jeremy Hunt delivered his first spring budget, and first major economic policy reveals since the revoking of policies outlined in Liz Truss’ mini-budget in September 2022. Alice Pugh and Hannes Read take a look at some of the key announcements from the budget. OBR Forecasts for the economy … Continue reading “Key Announcements From the Spring Statement 2023”
Changing Labour Market Participation of People Aged 50 Years and Over
Anne Green looks at the changing economic activity of the over-50s in the UK labour market and what policy implications this creates. This blog is part of a series looking at the UK Labour Market. See also: – Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce?- Labour Market Flows and Future Participation Flows – What Are … Continue reading “Changing Labour Market Participation of People Aged 50 Years and Over”
How to Improve Regional Productivity Levers in England and Wales
Helen Tilley, Jack Newman and Charlotte Hoole discuss their recent paper on whether UK regions have the policy levers they need to improve productivity, exploring the link between devolution and productivity. This blog was first published on the Wales Centre for Public Policy blogsite. Much has been written about the UK’s productivity puzzle. If the … Continue reading “How to Improve Regional Productivity Levers in England and Wales”
International Women’s Day: Mind the Gap
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Alice Pugh looks at how employers can help women overcome the obstacles they face in the workplace. This blog is part of an International Women’s Day series. Research shows that women start their careers with as much ambition as men on average (Abouzahr et.al,2017), and in an international survey … Continue reading “International Women’s Day: Mind the Gap”
International Women’s Week: Inequality Between Men and Women in the Workplace
Inequality between men and women in the workplace takes on many forms, including unequal pay, disparities in working hours and promotions, and differences in social norms and caring responsibilities. In celebration of International Women’s Week, Sara Hassan, Charlotte Hoole and Abigail Taylor discuss women in the workplace and how inequality can affect various factors like … Continue reading “International Women’s Week: Inequality Between Men and Women in the Workplace”