The squeezed middle: The Pressure on Ordinary Workers in America and Britain - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 144730893X ISBN 13: 9781447308935

Publisher: Policy Press, 2013

Synopsis

The issue of living standards is arguably the biggest challenge facing economists and politicians in the UK and USA today and a highly topical key policy concern."The squeezed middle" brings together leading experts from both sides of the Atlantic to ask what the UK can learn from the US experience of stagnating wages and rising living costs. American workers have not benefited from growth for an entire generation: the average American worker earned the equivalent in 2009 of a salary from 1975. During the last decade British workers have had a similar experience: they can no longer assume that when the economy grows their wages will grow with it. This collection includes articles commissioned and edited by The Resolution Foundation and brings together for the first time a number of leading economic and policy thinkers to analyse the impact of different policies on those on low-to-middle incomes and explain what lessons the UK can learn from America's 'lost generation'. This timely book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the living standards crisis and will have great relevance to policymakers and researchers in the UK, USA and beyond.

About this title

Review:

This timely book provides incisive analysis from leading scholars of a key issue of contemporary politics on both sides of the Atlantic. It explores why middle incomes have stagnated and discusses what might be done about it. If you read one political book this year you should read this one. --Andrew Gamble, Professor of Politics, University of Cambridge.

About the Author:

Sophia Parker is an Associate at the Resolution Foundation, having previously been the Director of Policy and Research. This book is the product of a year-long visiting fellowship at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 2010/11. Sophia has over a decade's experience in the field of UK social policy, in particular the issues around low income households and living standards.

About this edition

• Publisher: Policy Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 144730893X
• ISBN 13: 9781447308935
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 184
• Editor: Parker Sophia