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Inequality
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04/12/2012
Inequality drives material deprivation in Europe
Increased levels of income inequality are associated with increased material deprivation, according to a new study of European countries. Researchers used data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) to investigate the key drivers of material deprivation across countries and over time. They focused on the role of growth (or decline) in average income, and the relationship between material deprivation and income inequality.
Category: Reports -
20/11/2012
‘Government fails to deliver’ on income inequality
More action is needed to address income inequality, according to a collection of articles scrutinising the coalition government's record mid-way through its term of office. Despite early suggestions that inequality would be a high priority for the government, it has so far failed to deliver.
Category: Reports -
17/11/2012
Inequality plays big role in US Presidential election
The 2012 US Presidential elections were unusual for the relatively important role played by issues of inequality and the distribution of income and wealth, says a paper by researchers at the London School of Economics. On this occasion Americans seemed to abandon their normally 'relaxed' attitude to inequality.
Category: Reports -
16/11/2012
Home ownership lowers UK wealth inequality
Increases in owner-occupation and house prices in the UK over the period 2000–2005 led to falls in relative measures of wealth inequality, according to a new study. Researchers compared the level, composition and distribution of household wealth in five industrial countries: the UK, USA, Italy, Finland and Sweden.
Category: Reports -
07/11/2012
Earnings gap widens since 1980s
The top 1 per cent of earners enjoyed a real-terms increase of 117 per cent over the 25 years between 1986 and 2011, according to a new official analysis – compared with the average of 62 per cent, and with just 47 per cent for those in the lowest decile group.
Category: Reports -
31/10/2012
‘Self-perpetuating’ effects of inequality
Many forms of social disadvantage have a 'perpetual' character, according to the findings of a large-scale European research project. Past inequalities can themselves lead to future inequalities – not only for the individuals concerned but also for their children.
The report examines the key channels of influence and causality through which the social impacts of inequality can arise. It summarises the emerging conclusions from a wide range of individual studies, organised around five areas:
Category: Reports -
24/10/2012
Welfare state ‘needed to tackle European poverty’
The best-performing European countries in terms of social and economic outcomes have one thing in common – a large and active welfare state. That's the emerging policy conclusion of a major EU-funded research project on poverty and inequality.
Category: Reports -
11/10/2012
What drives growing inequalities?
Growing income and wealth inequalities in European and other developed countries are being driven by a complex range of factors, according to researchers working on a European Commission-funded project. Their report summarises the findings of a number of separate studies looking at inequalities in income, wealth and education.
Category: Reports -
05/10/2012
Policy commission launched on wealth distribution
Birmingham University has announced the launch of a Policy Commission on the Distribution of Wealth. The Commission, chaired by David Urquhart (Bishop of Birmingham), will review existing knowledge about the distribution of personal wealth across different groups in society.
The Commission will focus on three particular kinds of personal wealth: pensions; housing/property; and financial savings/investments. It will consider whether the outcomes of wealth inequality cause socio-economic problems and social divisions, or whether there are advantages to an unequal distribution of wealth – for example, in creating incentives for entrepreneurs or others to create economic growth.
Finally, the Commission will move on to consider policy options, such as how to spread opportunities to accumulate wealth; how to redistribute wealth; and how to mitigate any negative impacts of wealth inequality.
Category: News stories -
03/10/2012
Paradox in attitudes to inequality and redistribution
People living in unequal societies are more likely to support redistribution, but this may not always translate into political action, according to a European research project. A new paper summarises different strands in the project's findings on how inequalities in income and wealth affect 'political and cultural' outcomes – including people's perceptions of inequality, and their attitudes to redistribution.
Category: Reports
