UK Economics Focus Influx of migrants to widen current account deficit National Statistics’ estimates of the amount of money sent abroad by migrants, or “remittances”, take no account of the large rise in the size of the UK’s migrant population in recent years and are... 6th June 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Firms better placed than consumers to withstand rate rises Debt servicing costs in the corporate sector are even closer to their early 1990s highs than those in the household sector. But there are a number of reasons why higher interest rates and therefore... 24th May 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Have fixed rate mortgages changed the housing market? The popularity of fixed rate mortgages in recent years appears to have dampened the sensitivity of the housing market to rising interest rates. That is not to say that higher interest rates will not... 17th May 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Have fixed rate mortgages changed the housing market? The popularity of fixed rate mortgages in recent years appears to have dampened the sensitivity of the housing market to rising interest rates. That is not to say that higher interest rates will not... 17th May 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK sub-prime mortgage lending: living on borrowed time? Unfolding developments in the US sub-prime mortgage market make uncomfortable reading. But do developments in the US have any implications for the UK mortgage market, which has also seen strong growth... 28th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK sub-prime mortgage lending: living on borrowed time? Unfolding developments in the US sub-prime mortgage market make uncomfortable reading. But do developments in the US have any implications for the UK mortgage market, which has also seen strong growth... 28th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK Budget 2007 - Robbing Peter to pay Peter This was a bold, and indeed a big, Budget. But its impact on the economy will be minimal. It was designed to make a political, rather than an economic, impact, and in that regard it was brilliantly... 21st March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK Budget 2007 - Robbing Peter to pay Peter This was a bold, and indeed a big, Budget. But its impact on the economy will be minimal. It was designed to make a political, rather than an economic, impact, and in that regard it was brilliantly... 21st March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Falling inflation to offset drag on spending from rate rises The outlook for consumer spending this year hinges on which proves to be dominant - higher interest rates or falling inflation. The boost to real income growth from falling inflation should offset the... 20th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Falling inflation to offset drag on spending from rate rises The outlook for consumer spending this year hinges on which proves to be dominant - higher interest rates or falling inflation. The boost to real income growth from falling inflation should offset the... 20th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2007 Preview Gordon Brown will seek to use his eleventh and final Budget to underline his legacy as Chancellor. The economy has outpaced even his upbeat expectations over the last year and he is likely to announce... 8th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2007 Preview Gordon Brown will seek to use his eleventh and final Budget to underline his legacy as Chancellor. The economy has outpaced even his upbeat expectations over the last year and he is likely to announce... 8th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Why should we worry if pay growth picks up? The Monetary Policy Committee will no doubt raise interest rates again if pay growth picks up over the next few months. But we think that the inflationary threat of any rise in wages growth is not as... 6th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Who will a US slowdown hit hardest? The sectors of the UK economy most at threat from a major economic slowdown in the US include manufacturing, the City of London, tourism and the London housing market. But a US slowdown could be bad... 1st March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is Monetarism back from the dead? The greater attention devoted to the money supply in recent months does not herald the return of full-bloodied Monetarism as the key foundation of UK economic policy. Rather, it reflects current... 5th February 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus A timetable for the 2007 pay round This Focus sets out the key pay settlements which are likely to be concluded in the coming months. The fact that average earnings rose by 4.1% in both 2005 and 2006, compared to the 4.5% which the MPC... 31st January 2007 · 1 min read
