Who Gains for a Minimum Wage Increase?
As part of next week’s Budget the Government is likely to announce an increase to the statutory Minimum Wage. The increase follows the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission. The latest NERI Research inBrief estimates some of the effects of the proposed increase in the minimum wage. Specifically...
Some Implications of a Living Wage
Earlier this week, the inaugural Living Wage Forum was convened to explore the idea and potential of the concept of a Living Wage for the Republic of Ireland. As part of a contribution from the Living Wage Technical Group, I outlined some of the implications of a Living Wage for employees, employers...
Monday Blog: A roof over your head
A roof over one’s head and a safe, comfortable and healthy place that can be called home is a fundamental human right. Just as the issue of land was a central social concern and point of conflict in 19 th century Ireland, the question of accommodation was central to the social movement associated...
Monday Blog: The rising cost of health
Human health is the number one priority for people. Living a healthy life and enjoying well-being of mind and health of body is something that we all aspire to. Public policy can play a vital role in informing, equipping and resourcing people to achieve better health. As Irish society ages there...
Is Ireland’s Welfare System Excessively Generous?
Earlier this week, the OECD launched their new Economic Survey of Ireland and noted both progress and challenges for the economy since their last assessment in 2013. The report notes the significant role played by the redistribution system (taxes and in particular transfers) in reducing the...
Employees and the Self-Employed: an earnings profile
Despite its relevance to broad areas of public policy, detailed assessments of the structure and distribution of the income of workers in the Republic of Ireland has been limited. The latest NERI Research inBrief examines the distribution of work related earnings for both employees and the self...
Monday Blog: Good news for a change - but now is the time to invest
At the end of August the Central Statistics Office in the Republic of Ireland published three timely and telling statistical releases: the Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey (EHECS), the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) and the Annual Population and Migration Estimates. QHNS...
Recent changes in public sector employment in OECD countries
The scale of public sector employment varies considerably across developed economies; however, the vast majority of EU member states are in a process of reducing the size of central government employment—between 2008 and 2013, Sweden was the only EU country that increased the number of general...
Monday Blog: Northern Ireland at a crossroads
In recent weeks Northern Ireland has been more to the fore in the news in the Republic of Ireland, As a general rule you know that the economy and society of Northern Ireland are not in such bad shape when they seem to disappear from the news in southern Ireland. The troubles were a regular daily...
New Research on Market Income and its Distribution
The latest NERI Research inBrief examines the underlying distribution of market income in the Republic of Ireland. Market income captures the income received by employees as earnings, the profits of the self-employed and other ‘unearned’ income including rental income, private pension income...