IEA Featured Labour Market

As a rumoured second lockdown approaches there should be more focus on the sectors of the economy where working from home is not possible, says the IEA Director General Mark Littlewood. Quoted in the Daily Express, Mark said "there's quite a chunk of creative work, or middle class professional work, that can be easily done ... Continue reading

Occupational licencing may be essential to protect the public from unqualified doctors and nurses but "it is unclear why government regulation needs to spread to new groups such as estate agents, private investigators and security guards", says Professor Len Shackleton, IEA Editorial and Research Fellow. Writing for 1828, Len argues occupational regulation creates higher barriers ... Continue reading

Official data revealing the biggest quarterly fall in productivity on record 'was to be expected', given that during a recession firms tend to focus on preserving jobs so they can avoid the cost of firing and then rehiring workers, IEA Economics Fellow Julian Jessop told The Telegraph. Julian added that firms must also find new ... Continue reading

As some call for an extension to the coronavirus job retention scheme, Professor Len Shackleton, IEA Editorial and Research Fellow, said leaving businesses “on life support just delays adjustment to post-Covid reality”. Quoted in the Daily Telegraph, Len added “there may be a case for some further assistance for people losing jobs, but as furlough ... Continue reading