The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has published a report on changes in labour supply since the start of the pandemic, for which IFS Deputy Director Robert Joyce acted as a Specialist Advisor.

The report ‘Where have all the workers gone?’ cites several pieces of IFS research from this year, particularly work from IFS Associate Director Jonathan Cribb and Research Economist Bee Boileau on economic activity among older workers in their 50s and 60s. The report draws on their research on the rise in economic inactivity among people in their 50s and 60s and whether worsening health is leading to more older workers quitting work. Recent work on the increase in new disability benefit claimants by Tom Waters, Sam Ray-Chaudhri and Robert Joyce, and on long COVID and the labour market by Tom Wernham and Tom Waters are also cited in the report.

The report is available to read on the Economic Affairs Committee’s website here.