This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores how gender, ethnicity and place shape opportunity. Our Opportunity Index provided the most detailed ever look at the geography of opportunity and social mobility in England, revealing great disparities between different areas. However, we also know that average outcomes can hide important differences across gender...

This report from UK think tank the David Hume Institute explores the results of their quarterly survey data collected just after the Scottish Parliament election. The findings of the first Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker since the Scottish Parliament Election bring into focus the scale of the challenge facing the new MSPs. Despite growing confidence in...

This report from UK think tank Green Alliance sets out how the government can ensure young people are ready for the jobs of the 2030s. The UK’s green economy is set to grow rapidly, but young people aren’t being prepared for the careers it will create. Youth unemployment is at a ten year high and...

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute outlines the first findings from a major new tracker of attitudes to AI and work. Seven in 10 of the UK public are worried about the economic impacts of AI, six in 10 think it will eliminate more jobs than it creates, half think its impact...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores the relationship between social mobility and happiness. Is social mobility just about jobs and income? Does being upwardly mobile make you happy? Does socio-economic background determine who gets to live good, healthy and happy lives? This report examines the connection between happiness, wellbeing, life satisfaction,...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities shows that rising National Living Wage rates are having very different effects across UK cities and towns. A single national wage floor, combined with varying economic performance across UK cities, means that the impact of the minimum wage is felt very differently in different places. A...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society examines the built economy skills crisis. The construction and built environment sector – which brings together the design, construction, management and maintenance of homes, buildings and infrastructure – is crucial to the UK economy. It provides millions of jobs, and plays a critical role as an...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines why the UK NEET rate is high and rising. This report investigates why the UK’s NEET rate has been rising since 2019, and why it has long been higher than in many other countries. After falling for much of the 2010s, the proportion of 18-24-year-olds...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI finds that high-level skills mismatches differ significantly by area and that policy responses should reflect local differences in demand. This study maps employer demand for higher-level qualifications (at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 4 and above), the supply of residents with these qualifications, and the resulting demand-supply gaps...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society explores how civil servants can help deliver a smarter state with AI. As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly prominent role in our lives, the government is rightly using its potential to rewire the state. The long-term efficacy and sustainability of our public services will rely on...

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines the findings of a randomised controlled trial into cash transfers for care leavers. Young people leaving care who were given a one-off £2,000 cash lump sum, with no strings attached, were more likely to be in stable housing and less likely to be “sofa-surfing” than...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research assesses the costs and benefits of introducing a new entitlement for self-employed and worker fathers. Although designed to promote gender equality, parental leave policies in the UK have yet to close the gap in uptake, with women taking significantly more leave than men. Authors...

This report from UK think tank PBE evaluates the impact of nature-based therapy on veterans. Veterans have some of the lowest levels of wellbeing, with around 160,000 self-reporting deep dissatisfaction with their lives. They may struggle with chronic health conditions, common mental health disorders and the anxiety which can come with unemployment and the feeling that their lives lack purpose....

This report from UK think tank Civitas explores how expanding the Equality Act would increase discrimination and damage growth. Given the primary role that equal value pay claims have played in compromising major British businesses, eroding public services and damaging local authority finances, the report argues for the removal of equal value pay claims altogether,...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation paints a portrait of the poorer half of the country's population. The 13 million working-age families across the poorer half of the country are widely courted by politicians. No party can win elections without their votes, and the country cannot succeed without their needs being met....