An intergenerational audit of the UK

This project will update and advance analysis of the living standards of different generations, publishing the results in three annual ‘intergenerational audits’. The research team will examine the extent to which the promise of generation-on-generation improvement is currently under threat. The Resolution Foundation convened the Intergenerational Commission, which published its final report in May 2018, attracting significant attention from policymakers and the public. This project aims to build on this momentum and keep intergenerational concerns a salient issue in public debate. It also complements other Nuffield Foundation funded work on related issues, such as inheritance and inequality and the influence of social policies on distributional outcomes.

The audits will focus on key living standards and labour market metrics to describe the profiles and trajectories of different generations in terms of:

• Jobs and pay
• Housing costs and security
• Taxes, benefits and household income
• Wealth and assets.

The analysis will draw on a wide range of data including: the Labour Force Survey, the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, the Family Resources Survey, the Wealth and Assets Survey and Understanding Society.

The audits will be launched at public events, bringing together researchers, practitioners, journalists and others with an interest in living standards across the generations. A dedicated microsite will provide access to emerging findings, interactive data and relevant UK and international research.