If this improved productivity is sustained, it fits with the view that macro policy was too tight in the 2010s, and running the economy a little hot should be the priority www.theguardian.com/business/202...

UK productivity growing faster than official figures suggest, thinktank finds

Resolution Foundation suggests economy may finally be emerging from shadow of 2008 financial crisis

theguardian.com

The economy grew 0.4% in Q2, down from Q1, but above Britain's dire economic performance over the post-pandemic period. And this leaves the UK fastest growing in the G7 in 2026 so far. See Stephen's full thread below.

Stephen Hunsaker@hunsaker.bsky.social · last mo.

0.4%. That is the headline figure for the UK economy in the second quarter of this year. While not quite as strong as last quarter (0.6%), growth was stronger than the Bank of England forecast at 0.3%.

Stephen's hot takes on what we can learn from today's Q2 trade data.

Stephen Hunsaker@hunsaker.bsky.social · last mo.

New Q2 2026 UK trade data this morning. While the impact of the Iran war will be the first thing on people’s mind, it seems to still be too early to see the full pass-through effects on UK trade.

What does the announcement today tell us about the shape of fiscal devolution to come? Income tax will be shared, but as of yet no details on how they will balance sharper growth incentives with managing the risk of wider gaps between regions.

Simon Pittaway@simonpittaway.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Today, the Government gave us the first real details of its plans for devolution. The headline measure is letting mayors keep a slice of Income Tax raised in their areas, in an effort to sharpen their incentives to grow. www.gov.uk/government/n...

New Q1 2026 UK trade data out this morning - and the Trump tariff hit on UK exports to the US is now unmissable. Feeding into the longer-term picture of weak goods trade, offset with stronger services trade.

We're hiring at the Resolution Foundation. A range of roles across the research team — including one focused on economic growth, to dig deeper into what it takes to lift UK productivity, wages and living standards over the coming decade. www.resolutionfoundation.org/about-us/opp...

Opportunities: Resolution Foundation

We're looking for exceptional candidates to join the Resolution Foundation team.

resolutionfoundation.org

🚨 Out now - the Resolution Foundation response to the Chancellor’s 2026 Mais Lecture. @sophiehale.bsky.social argues that priorities set out by Rachel Reeves yesterday form a credible framework for supporting stronger growth, but important gaps remain. Read it here: buff.ly/1SkyA5G

Growth Mais-day • Resolution Foundation

The Chancellor’s reaffirmation of her commitment to focusing on the UK’s miserable growth rate is welcome and reflects the scale of the UK’s challenge: a decade of exceptionally weak growth and a…

resolutionfoundation.org

A nice outline of why the UK is so much more relaxed about goods deficits than the US? And given record deficits last year, whether it should be? www.ft.com/content/af9b...

Who’s afraid of the big bad trade deficit?

The divergence between the British and American attitudes isn’t entirely justified

ft.com

The UK goods deficit hit record high in 2025 (in values and volumes terms). This in part reflects the flatlining of goods exports over the last decade: "the volume of UK goods exports last year was still smaller than in 2014". www.ft.com/content/870d...

FT exclusive | UK quietly shelves £110mn frictionless post-Brexit trade border project ft.trib.al/n5uCr9G #FTEdit

UK quietly shelves £110mn frictionless post-Brexit trade border project

Experts criticise halt to programme that had used Deloitte and IBM as contractors

ft.trib.al

New report published assesses the UK’s growth challenge 18 months into the current Parliament, examining how economic performance has evolved since the pandemic and evaluating the Government’s progress against its central mission to raise growth. www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

ONS monthly trade data today shows exports grew 5.2% in October, thanks to a strong monthly rebound in US exports. Imports grew just 1.5% and services trade growth was once again almost zero.

📻 Coming up at 4pm today on BBC Radio 4 CPC-CG Director @janefalkingham.bsky.social @uosmedia.bsky.social will discuss #intergenerational #economic justice, with CPC-CG's @sophiehale.bsky.social @resolutionfoundation.org, + @bobbyduffy.bsky.social & @xiaoweixu.bsky.social @theifs.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️

BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room, Are the old robbing the young?

Are we seeing inter-generational economic injustice?

bbc.co.uk

Inevitably, there are already arguments that the Chancellor should cut welfare spending instead of raising taxes tomorrow. But is welfare spending really 'out of control'? Here's the facts: www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/is-w...

Is welfare spending ‘out of control’? • Resolution Foundation

The run up to this Budget has seen more than its fair share of rumours, leaks, briefings and counter-briefings. But if there’s one thing we know for sure, it is that tax rises are coming. The public f...

resolutionfoundation.org

Quarterly trade data out this morning. Goods exports were down 0.7% compared to Q2, with weak USA exports certainly contributing. In addition, services trade growth seems to have slowed, with growth of just 0.2%.

Research from Yale Budget Lab looks at the impact of US tariffs. As expected, it finds the UK does relatively well. But it goes further suggesting the UK economy will be about 0.1% larger in the long run. budgetlab.yale.edu/research/sta...

Research showing rising US wealth inequality across age groups: the wealth of households aged 75 and over increased from 5 percent above the overall average in 1983 to 16 percent above it in 2007, then continued to rise to 55 percent above by 2022. www.nber.org/papers/w34131

The Extraordinary Rise in the Wealth of Older American Households

Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

nber.org

Monthly trade data for August showed a fall in goods exports, flat goods imports and some services trade growth. A very brief look at the trends in the data below:

Exciting news: I’m back from maternity leave👶and so I'm diving straight in with today’s July 2025 trade data release. But after a few months away, I’ll also step back to see how trade has evolved so far this year.

Still a week left to apply for this fantastic opportunity to work at the Resolution Foundation!

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · last yr.

🚨 We're hiring!🚨 🏠 We're looking for a thoughtful and committed individual to lead our work on housing🏠 To find out more➡️ buff.ly/gpUx9o2

🚨 New Research🚨 In the sixth Intergenerational Audit for the UK, part of the @ConnectingGens research programme, @mollybroome.bsky.social , @sophiehale.bsky.social and @hannahslaughter.bsky.social evaluate the economic importance of intergenerational exchanges. ➡️ https://buff.ly/4hYPPb9

Enjoyed working on this “inter generational audit” with @hannahslaughter.bsky.social @sophiehale.bsky.social & @mollybroome.bsky.social The role of extended families in care, money & housing is increasing, but also increasingly strained www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/...

‼️New report out today 'Trading blows' with @sophiehale.bsky.social We reflect on the UK's trade landscape post-Brexit and Covid - e.g. that exports of some highly regulated professional services – like accounting & tax, engineering, and legal – are growing slower than the average service sector.

🚨🚨 I know there has been a lot of #brexit posting today but this is another truly fascinating @resfoundation.bsky.social report by @sophiehale.bsky.social & @emilyfry.bsky.social with the ominous title "Trading Blows". Key insights are worth restating 🧵 www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...

Trading blows • Resolution Foundation

Recently the UK has faced tough times in trade, juggling twin shocks of Brexit and Covid. While service exports have stayed strong, goods trade has struggled. With a possible further disruption to goo...

resolutionfoundation.org

🚨🚨 Brexit is ‘stifling’ exports and imports". Report by economists at Aston University finds that the EU-UK TCA has led to ‘profound and ongoing’ impact on goods flow. Great write-up by @pmdfoster.bsky.social of solid research on the negative effects of #brexit on trade. 🧵 www.ft.com/content/21b2...

Brexit is ‘stifling’ exports and imports, report finds

UK trade deal with EU has led to ‘profound and ongoing’ impact on goods flow

ft.com

Monthly ONS July trade data weak with monthly trade volumes down by 2.6%, driven by particularly weak monthly export volume of goods. A short thread.