July 18, 2019
How affordable is renting privately in the UK?
PwC's Mike Jakeman looks at the affordability of the rental sector and our latest projections for house prices.
Economics in business
Our view on prospects for the UK and global economies, as well as other economic issues that business and policymakers should be thinking about.
All articles
May 14, 2019
Gravity without weight - can trade in services defy gravity?
Gravity without weight - can trade in services defy gravity? PwC's Jing Teow and Yuval Fertig question whether the lessons of the gravity model still hold true given the growing importance of services in global trade flows.
May 08, 2019
How can digital technologies spur service sector productivity growth?
3 ways new digital technologies can boost service sector productivity growth.
April 08, 2019
What is the outlook for consumer spending?
By Mike Jakeman. If consumer spending is to continue to grow, what are UK households going to be buying?
March 28, 2019
UK regional growth trends and prospects
Following our latest UK Economic Outlook launch, John Hawksworth takes a detailed look at the performance of UK regions over the past five decades.
March 25, 2019
Women in Work 2019 - Regional initiatives can provide the key to empowering women across the UK
The UK continues to make steady progress towards gender equality in the workforce - but this progress hasn't been distributed equally across the UK.
February 05, 2019
Will wages in emerging markets catch up with those in the UK?
By John Hawksworth and Mike Jakeman. We explore whether wages in emerging markets will catch up with those in the UK, and what impact this may have on the UK Economy.
November 27, 2018
How can we unlock a £40 billion prize for the UK economy?
By Carmen Cheung. The UK has seen impressive jobs growth in recent years, but our past research suggests that we still lag behind leading OECD nations. In our latest research in this series, we take a look at the UK’s performance.
November 13, 2018
Where next for UK growth?
By John Hawksworth. Following the release of our latest UK Economic Outlook, we analyse UK growth prospects.
November 08, 2018
10 years of Good Growth in the capitals of the four nations
This year’s edition of Good Growth for Cities analysed long term trends in city performance over the decade from 2005-7 to 2015-17.
October 31, 2018
Chancellor spends fiscal windfall on increased NHS spending rather than balancing budget
By John Hawksworth, Chief Economist. The big question ahead of this Budget was how the Chancellor would pay for the large increase in NHS spending announced by the Prime Minister back in June. Further spending cuts in areas other than health seemed to have been ruled out by the Prime Minister’s later pledge to ‘end austerity’, so it looked like some combination of higher taxes and higher borrowing would be needed.
October 25, 2018
What does the current economic picture mean for the Budget?
Mike Jakeman, Senior economist, outlines his prediction for the upcoming Budget.
September 27, 2018
Weaker migration from the EU could put further pressure on the UK labour market
by Mike Jakeman Senior Economist Email The appeal of living in the UK has continued to weaken for other Europeans. New data on migration has...
August 02, 2018
Should we be worried about households’ finances?
By Mike Jakeman, Senior Economist. British households spent an average of £900 more than they received in 2017. So far in 2018, the saving rate has remained below its long-term average. Should we be worried about these trends?
July 26, 2018
How have UK goods exports fared since the referendum?
By Mike Jakeman, Senior Economist. The nature of the trading relationship between the UK and Europe - critical for British exporters - remains highly uncertain. How have UK goods exports fared since the referendum?
July 19, 2018
Why has UK employment been so strong... and can it continue?
By Mike Jakeman, Senior Economist. The UK economy faces a difficult short-term outlook with negotiations around the country’s future trading relationship with the EU. However, these challenges have yet to subdue the vibrant labour market.
July 17, 2018
AI and robots should create as many jobs as they displace in the long run
By John Hawksworth and Yuval Fertig. A perennial concern about technologies like AI and robots is that they will boost productivity at the cost of displacing many human workers. However, is this really the case?
June 19, 2018
UK GDP could be boosted by £180 billion if we could extend working lives to match New Zealand
By George Mason and Saloni Goel. How can policymakers and businesses support older workers to extend their working lives? Now live - our Golden Age Index, a weighted average of seven indicators reflecting the labour market impact of workers aged over 55.
May 17, 2018
How far will the pound in your pocket stretch this summer?
By Saatvik Bansal and John Hawksworth. The second edition of our British Overseas Purchasing Power (BOPP) Index is now live. Indicating how the purchasing power of UK wages has changed over time in the 27 countries where UK citizens spend the most.
April 12, 2018
Is it time to plan for the next downturn?
By Andrew Sentance, Senior Economic Adviser. Nine years since the UK economic downturn triggered by the Global Financial Crisis came to an end, we are still in economic recovery. But do governments and businesses need to be planning for the next downturn?
