The Campaign for Social Science has today launched its new hub which showcases research and evidence-based insights from the social sciences on how the UK might address its challenges around growth and productivity.
Since the financial crisis of 2007-2009 the UK’s economic growth has been slow, with the nation languishing in the lower half of the OECD rankings on productivity. The UK also has high levels of inequality in terms of wealth, income and opportunity when compared to its OECD peers. These challenges are in many ways linked but tackling them is no straightforward task.
Through a range of comment pieces and events taking place throughout the year, our ‘good growth’ project will explore social science research and practice-informed ideas which might make it possible for the UK to achieve growth that is fair, inclusive, carefully targeted, and environmentally sustainable.
Our new hub pulls together a range of comment pieces from Academy Fellows and other social scientists on many key themes, including initial pieces from Professor Richard Blundell FAcSS, Professor Rachel Griffith FAcSS and Professor Sally McNally exploring policies to promote productivity and wage growth for less educated workers, Dr Edward Jones making the case for more holistic metrics to assess prosperity and wellbeing beyond GDP, and Dr Aveek Bhattacharya asking whether there is a trade-off between raising economic growth and tackling inequality. More pieces will be published on a regular basis over the coming months.
Throughout 2025, we will also be holding a range of online and in-person events, in collaboration with Campaign supporters, around the theme of good growth. The first of these, a webinar chaired by Professor Bobby Duffy FAcSS, will take place today to coincide with the hub’s launch and features Professor Heejung Chung, Professor Matthew Johnson FAcSS, Professor Katherine Smith FAcSS and Paul Johnson CBE FAcSS discussing how the UK can balance its economic priorities against large and growing inequalities across society.
Other forthcoming events in this programme include explorations of a variety of topics through a social science lens including the UK’s changing relationship with the EU and how this might impact on growth; comparisons of growth strategies across the four UK nations; and the relationship between health, happiness and wellbeing, and economic productivity. Further details and information of how to register will be available on the good growth hub and our events page in due course.