IFS Zooms In: The Economy

From HGV drivers, to strawberry pickers, to doctors and nurses, the UK seems to be facing labour shortages across many different industries.As the pandemic recedes, and the impacts of Brexit begin to reveal themselves, the government have insisted that this is part of the transition to a 'high-wage economy'. What is happening in the labour market? Which sectors are facing the biggest challenges? And what can policy-makers do to help?This week, we're joined by Jonathan Cribb and Xiaowei Xu, IFS experts on labour markets and jobs.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a year and half of lockdowns, schools and their students face a vast array of challenges.From mental health issues and childhood obesity to teacher shortages and exam results, the education system has been placed under incredible strain over the past year.This week, we speak with Birgitta Rabe, education expert at the University of Essex and Luke Sibieta, a research fellow at IFS who studies education policy, to dig into the issues and see what we can do to fix the education system.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades, social care has been in need of reform.Last week, the Prime Minister announced an extra tax to fund social care in England, and help the NHS recover after the pandemic, and changes to the way the social care system works.In this episode, featuring Natasha Curry, Deputy Director of Policy at the Nuffield Trust, and Ben Zaranko, IFS economist, we dig into the new announcement, what it means, whether it will work and how it will affect people's care.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a rerun from September 2020. The government announced some tax increases in Budget 2021. We discuss those here: https://ifs.org.uk/budget-2021**The financial support given to individuals and businesses and the costs of managing the pandemic have left us with the biggest peacetime deficit in British history.As the economy reopens, and the coronavirus begins to have less of a hold on our lives, the government will need to start thinking about how to return the deficit to a more sustainable level. Many have suggested that the Chancellor might think about raising taxes in the near future to tackle this deficit.In this episode, recorded last autumn, our resident tax expert, Helen Miller, helps pick apart the options for raising taxes - and whether they are effective.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, students across the country are getting back A Level and GCSE grades. In the past higher education was considered a one-way ticket to better and higher paying jobs, now many question whether they will get better jobs, and have a quality of life higher than that of their parents.Social mobility is never far from the front pages; education, geographic and intergenerational inequalities and jobs affect everyone.This week we bring you a conversation from September last year, with Lindsey MacMillan, Director of the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities and Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust where we explore issues around social mobility.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government has pledged to make 'levelling up' a core part of their policy agenda. To achieve this, they have promised increased investment spending and infrastructure spending.What is investment spending? Why is investment so much lower now than it was 40 or 50 years ago? How does this relate to the levelling up agenda?This week, we are digging into the archives. In this episode from last year we spoke with Professor Sir Tim Besley, Professor of Economics at LSE and member of the National Infrastructure Commission, and Ben Zaranko, Research Economist at IFS.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ageing populations, rising care costs and COVID-19 have placed significant strain on an already struggling social care sector. Since assuming office in 2019, the Prime Minister has repeatedly promised to present a comprehensive plan to reform social care, the latest in a long line of governments to promise to tackle the issue.So, how should we think about reforming social care? How should we pay for it? And what can we learn from other countries?This week Paul speaks with Andrew Dilnot, Warden of Nuffield College Oxford and author of the Dilnot Report on Social Care, set up under David Cameron's coalition government, and Natasha Curry, Deputy Director of Policy at the Nuffield Trust and expert on social care.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the pandemic, the Treasury has spent hundreds of billions of pounds, from paying wages via the furlough scheme to funding the testing program. But how does decision-making work at the Treasury? What kinds of evidence do officials use? And as we hopefully exit the pandemic, what will be on the minds of those working there?This week Paul speaks to Jill Rutter, senior research fellow of UK in a Changing Europe, and a former employee of the Treasury and Lord Nick Macpherson, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 2005 to 2016.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everybody over the age of 18 who lives in a property in the UK is eligible to pay council tax. It's the fifth largest tax, raising up to £40bn a year in the UK, and it pays for local services such as social care, waste collection and libraries.However, there is a widespread consensus that the implementation of council tax is flawed. The house prices it is based on haven't changed since 1991 despite 30 years of significant change in the housing market and these changes have made the tax regressive.Joining us this week to dissect council tax and work out how we can reform it are David Phillips, Associate Director at IFS and local government expert, and John Stevenson, the Conservative MP for Carlisle who has written extensively about reforming council tax. Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.'More than ever, the COVID crisis has bought the NHS and the vital role it plays to the fore. However, after more than a year of unprecedented pressure, it faces long waiting lists, staffing shortages and inadequate funding. What challenges will the NHS face in the future? How can it tackle these issues? And what can government do to help? Joining us this week are George Stoye, IFS Associate Director who leads our work on healthcare, and Saffron Cordery, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Providers, the membership organisation for NHS trusts.Support the IFS: https://www.ifs.org.uk/about/membership/individual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.