IEA Featured Press Release

Responding to figures from the British Chambers of Commerce which suggest nearly half of businesses plan to furlough at least half of their staff under the government's wage scheme, Andy Mayer, Chief Operating Officer at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “The figures in the BCC survey are disappointing but not surprising. “The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was designed ... Continue reading

Professor Len Shackleton, Editorial and Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “The decision to raise the National Living Wage by an unprecedented 6.2%, and other minimum wages by significant amounts, always risked scuppering employment growth, particularly in poorer regions where arbitrary wage hikes could offset the government’s plans to boost investment and ... Continue reading

No more than 15% of healthy workers confined to their homes will work productively, argues new research from the Institute of Economic Affairs. Government restrictions on social interaction designed to slow the spread of coronavirus have led to a rapid increase in the number of people working from home. But a new briefing paper from the ... Continue reading

Commenting on Chancellor Rishi Sunak's plans to support the self-employed during the Covid-19 pandemic Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “The Chancellor has done a good job in drawing up a sensible package to support the self-employed, which is a relatively diverse group of people with different needs and different ... Continue reading

Commenting on Equalities Minister Liz Truss’s decision to suspend enforcement of gender pay gap reporting in light of the Covid-19 pandemic Annabel Denham, Director of Communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: "The government’s suspension of compulsory reporting for this year, given the unprecedented pressures placed on businesses by Covid-19, is a welcome move. ... Continue reading