The new government faces a daunting challenge with its energy policy. As the UK becomes increasingly reliant on electricity, the risks of power shortages grow. However, this challenge also presents an opportunity. The UK is endowed with a diverse array of renewable energy resources, including wind, solar, marine, and biomass. Properly harnessed, these resources can

Rachel Reeves, the expected incoming Chancellor, made it clear in her Mais lecture[1] in March 2024 that she will largely keep the current government’s fiscal framework. All potential Chancellors have learned from the Truss episode that their first priority has to be to keep the markets onside. So if anything she may well err on

Each UK worker produced 0.8% more output in Q1 2024 than the same period one year ago, equivalent to £149 each. However, this was only possible because the average employee worked an additional 2.9 hours, according to Cebr calculations based on flash estimates from the ONS released last week. This means that productivity has essentially

Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister and ex-President of the European Council, made a splash recently when he promised that the Polish would be richer than the British by 2029 on social media. This isn’t a new claim. Keir Starmer warned last year that Poland would overtake the UK economically by 2030 if growth trends continued.

The UK’s economic performance in recent years has largely been described as sluggish. Beneath the negativity at the headline level lie figures showing even worse economic performance for particular geographic areas. The devolved nations of Scotland and Wales arguably present the two clearest examples. Both of these economies have hardly grown in recent years. The

First ever full economic analysis of the impact of potholes in the UK evaluates the full cost in damage, accidents (especially to cyclists), time wasted and higher emissions. Anyone who drives or cycles will be aware that Britain’s pothole crisis is serious. Having completed the most recent ‘Peking to Paris’ car rally from Beijing to

Unpaid household services, which are not captured in normal economic statistics, are estimated to have been worth £1.9 trillion in the UK in 2021, according to a lesser-covered ONS dataset released last week. This compares with official GDP of £2.2 trillion.  The dataset, released every five years, covers the period 2017 to 2021, although there

Recent figures point to a slightly rosier landscape for the UK consumer. Inflation is on a downward trajectory, while earnings growth remains historically elevated, supporting real-terms improvements in spending power. However, the aggregate figures obscure significant variations in trends amongst demographics, with certain groups continuing to bear the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis. Private renters

Easter weekend typically stands out as a highlight for retailers, as shoppers are enticed to venture out and make the most of the long bank holiday weekend. Despite challenging economic conditions amid the cost-of-living crisis, British consumers appear confident about opening their wallets once again as Easter week ushers in a resurgence in spending. Cebr

Amongst the plentiful economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, arguably the most significant has been the acceleration in the adoption of remote working. In addition to changing the structure of the labour market, this has had implications for the regional distribution of economic activity. This has been of particular detriment to London, shifting output away from

The headlines from the recent Spring Budget were rightly dominated by the 2p decrease in National Insurance Contributions, given it will make a notable difference in workers’ take-home pay, even if obscured by other tax changes. There were other commendable announcements, too, notably changes to child benefit charge thresholds and a focus on improving public

Cebr analysis published last week considered the effect of the leap year day on earnings. In this short follow-up note, we present our estimates of the GDP impact. Though higher frequency economic statistics are seasonally- and calendar-adjusted, meaning the impact of extra working days is largely smoothed out, there is no adjustment for leap days

Thanks to Pope Gregory XIII’s overhaul of the shoddy Julian calendar in 1582, 2024 is a leap year. Relative to 2023, England will see three extra working days this year: one for the leap year day of February 29th, one due to the lack of a coronation, meaning fewer public holidays, and one less weekend day. This

In October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) unexpectedly pulled the plug on the publication of some of its flagship labour market statistics, covering metrics such as unemployment, employment, and economic inactivity. Citing issues with sample sizes and the broader methodology behind the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the statistics were deemed to be unreliable. The figures

The UK housing market has faced a period of significant headwinds, with elevated mortgage rates, a sluggish economy, and a cost-of-living crisis all contributing towards a gloomy picture. Indeed, the most recent official data released by the Land Registry are particularly notable, demonstrating that average UK house prices fell by 2.1% on an annual basis in