Past experience is the foundation on which our beliefs about the desirability of different policies and institutions are mainly based … Continue reading “An alternative history: how poverty fell under Thatcherism”

This is not the first time this subject has been covered on the IEA blog – but the point needs … Continue reading “Time to suspend the minimum wage”

In the last few days, there have been two well-publicised claims that women are likely to suffer relatively more in … Continue reading “Women and the recession”

Today, in a response to a report suggesting that social mobility was improving, Chris Grayling, the Conservative Shadow Welfare minister … Continue reading “Poverty, mobility, inequality? Can somebody please tell us what they are talking about?”

A new report by the OECD, Growing Unequal? Income Distribution and Poverty in OECD Countries, warns: “Poverty is rising in … Continue reading “Is poverty rising in OECD countries?”

Men working full-time currently earn about 17% more per hour than women working full-time. This gender pay gap is widely … Continue reading “Should we mind the gap?”

This morning the UK government announced that in the last quarter unemployment rose by more than 80,000 to a total … Continue reading “Unemployment and the minimum wage: the government cannot escape responsibility”

Discrimination is not a significant cause of differences in pay between men and women according to new research released by … Continue reading “New research shows discrimination is not causing the gender pay gap”

The regulation of child labour, or economic sanctions and trade boycotts against countries where child labour is prevalent, may lead … Continue reading “Regulation not the answer to child labour”