A century ago, economists believed that increases in economic productivity would lead to drastically shorter working weeks by the beginning of the 21st century. Although these predictions have not yet materialised, recent years have seen an increased interest in instituting a 4-day work week. Alec Haglund, IF Researcher, discusses how a 4-day week might benefit… Read more »
Category: Wellbeing
Young workers experienced more COVID-19 workplace stress
New research suggests younger workers were impacted more by workplace stress during COVID-19. Liz Emerson, IF-Co-founder, looks at the latest research.
COP27: The (so far) missed opportunity to protect the UK economy
With COP 27 not far over the horizon, IF researcher Sylvan Lutz considers the implications of the UK government’s current climate policy. Assessing the UK government’s negotiating power at COP27, the broader environmental impact of its policies, and the long-term consequences for future generations, he argues that COP27 is an opportunity to speed up the… Read more »
Australia needs a parliamentary inquiry into intergenerational fairness
Thomas Walker is the Economist-in-Residence at Think Forward. Think Forward is an advocacy group for young Australians who want to see issues of intergenerational fairness front and center in Australian policymaking. In this article for IF’s Worldwide Blog Week, Thomas argues that a parliamentary inquiry would reap great benefits for younger generations in Australia. Youth… Read more »
When the old suffer too: the cycle of intergenerational inequality
Danny Dorling is the Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography of the School of Geography and the Environment of the University of Oxford, and the author of many books including All That Is Solid, Inequality and the 1%, and Injustice: why social inequality persists. In this blog, he explains how inequality between older and younger generations… Read more »
Packhorse Generation: how the cost of living crisis disproportionately impacts the young
On 7 June IF is hosting a webinar (sign-up here) on the cost-of-living crisis facing young people. In this article, John Hobby, IF researcher, explains the economic backdrop to the mounting financial pressures facing younger generations. Consumer price inflation hit 9% in April, a four decade high that will squeeze the spending power of the… Read more »
The loneliness epidemic: mental health, young people and intergenerational inequality
Loneliness is the theme of this year’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, lays out IF’s research into young people’s loneliness and explains why greater investment in earlier mental health interventions is needed. A decade in the making For more than a decade the Intergenerational Foundation (IF) has researched the plight of young people. In 9… Read more »
Anti-democratic clauses in trade deals are barriers to intergenerational environmental justice
Part of the concept of intergenerational justice is that young people must be able to have a say in policy-making. Democratic systems must allow for their citizens to exert agency over economic and political processes in the first place, otherwise there would be no vehicle for translating the will of (young) people into action and… Read more »
Two years of COVID-19: the pandemic, young people and what next?
Almost two years have passed since COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency by the WHO. IF’s digital campaigns officer Liam Hill analyses how the pandemic, the lockdowns and other restrictions have affected young people in the UK, and asks what can be done to address the issues they face. Two years of turmoil It… Read more »
Rise in National Living Wage not enough to help younger people
The government announced a rise in the National Living Wage this week, presenting it as a win for lower-paid working people. Lizzie Simpson, IF Researcher, discusses the details of this rise in the context of inflation and rising costs of living, and questions the merit of the UK’s age-based minimum wage system. Changes to the… Read more »