How do income-support systems in the UK affect labour force participation?

Understand this issue

Election Special: Your questions answered

podcast

In the final run up to the election, we answer your questions about everything from borrowing to AI to the part that luck plays in the economy.

27 June 2024

What is the two-child limit in benefits?

explainer

IFS Associate Director Tom Waters explains.

27 June 2024

Election Special: The big issues politicians haven't spoken about

podcast

What are the manifestos missing? What are the big challenges facing us? And what information should voters be aware of as they head to the polls?

25 June 2024

Policy analysis

What are the parties’ plans for benefits and taxes?

calculator

Use our simple interactive tool to see how the parties’ plans for benefits and taxes would impact household incomes over the next five years.

24 June 2024

How would the parties’ tax and spending plans affect Scotland and Wales?

report

This ‘explainer’ looks at how the parties’ proposals would affect Scotland and Wales, covering tax, spending, public finances and the constitution.

28 June 2024

How do the last five years measure up on levelling up?

report

How well – or badly – has the UK fared on the 12 levelling up missions? We examine early progress and the scale of the challenge ahead.

19 June 2024

Academic research

The impact of labour demand shocks when occupational labour supplies are heterogeneous

working paper

We study the heterogeneous impact of subsequent demand shifts on wages and employment in Germany.

28 June 2024

Labour market inequality and the changing life cycle profile of male and female wages

working paper

We estimate the distribution of life cycle wages for cohorts of prime-age men and women in the US.

15 April 2024

Interpreting cohort profiles of lifecycle earnings volatility

working paper

We present new estimates of earnings volatility over time and the lifecycle for men and women by race and human capital.

15 April 2024