Publications
Diversity and Productivity from Education to Work
2026
Author: Anne Theunissen
Abstract
While the relation between gender and productivity has been predominantly explored
in management and organization studies literature along the rigid boundaries of the
gender binary, the perspectives of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC)
workers have received little attention. Moreover, whereas studies have illustrated how
productivity is a gendered construct that favours cis-gender men over cis-gender
women at work, alternative conceptualisations of productivity have rarely been
explored. Aiming to come to a more flexible and gender-minority-inclusive
conceptualisation of the gender/productivity relation, this study analyses 19
interviews with TGNC workers in the UK and develops an alternative notion of
productivity based on Queer Theory.
Read: Reconceptualising the gender/productivity relation beyond the gender binary
Bank of England published September 2025
Authors: Maria Georgouli Loupi, Danielle Guizzo, Sarah Smith, Discover Economics
Abstract
Boys outnumber girls in economics at school and university by two-to-one. Any successful initiative to tackle this under-representation needs to understand what factors deter girls from studying economics. This report combines the findings from quantitative and qualitative research into girls’ (and boys’) perceptions of economics with the aim of identifying what the potential barriers are and how to overcome them. We identify three sets of issues – perceptions of the subject, perceptions of economics students and perceptions of careers.
Read: Tackling the gender gap in who studies economics in the UK
Frontiers in Psychology published 7 May 2025
Abstract
Collaboration and inclusion are key drivers of successful work outcomes in today’s increasingly diverse workforce. Yet, while organizational inclusion has been widely studied, less is known about what makes an individual inclusive of others at work. We define an inclusive individual as someone who actively includes others in a group, values diversity of thought and background, and fosters group performance and productivity. To address this gap, we develop and validate a new measure: the Individual Inclusiveness Inventory.
Discover Economics (Podcast)
Abstract
A series of conversations with economists who are working in a variety of different organisations, the podcasts will explore their personal journeys. What inspired them to choose to study economics? How did they get to their current position? What are they currently working on and what are some of the things that they love about economics?
Discover Economics published December 2024
Author: Sam McLoughlin
Abstract
Economic literacy is vital — it underpins informed democratic participation and helps give young people the best start in life. Currently, access to economics education is uneven, with provision skewed towards more advantaged groups. Tackling this inequality demands a long-term strategy to increase the supply of qualified economics teachers. We recommend embedding core economic literacy into an expanded, compulsory citizenship education programme, ensuring all students gain these essential skills.
Read: Basic economic literacy should be part of the national curriculum
Published November 2024
Authors: Teresa Almeida, Yehuda Dayan, Helen Krause, Grace Lordan, and Andreas Theodoulou
Abstract
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a growing strategic focus area. However, measuring DEI remains a challenge, partly due to self-reporting biases and limitations of cross-sectional survey data. This paper proposes a novel measure of DEI using a data set of online employee reviews that encompasses more than 3.2 million reviews posted between 2015 and 2022 on the career intelligence website Glassdoor. We investigate the relationship between this measure of DEI and firm performance for 945 US and UK-listed firms. We find that DEI is associated with higher long-term market performance, with positive impacts larger for growth compared to steady state firms, but not short-term market performance.
Read: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not bad for business
LSE Business Review published October 2024
Authors: Rawleka Wilson, Leslie M Gutman
Abstract
Voluntary leadership positions at university can transform the lives of students, enhancing their personal and professional development and opening the doors for future employment. But Black and other ethnic minority students face hurdles as leaders. Rawleka Wilson and Leslie Morrison Gutman share seven key themes from qualitative interviews with six ethnic minority student leaders at university and offer strategies for positive change.
Read: Ethnic minorities face hurdles as university student leaders
Published September 2024
Authors: Nikita, Grace Lordan
Abstract
The VOICE blueprint aims to support individuals, managers, and firms in enabling the retention and progression of colleagues from lower socio-economic backgrounds (SEB) in financial services in the United Kingdom (UK). VOICE was created based on extensive input from colleagues from lower SEB working in financial services across the UK who participated in our qualitative research.
IFS published August 2024
Authors: Jack Britton, Christine Farquharson
Abstract
In recent months, there have been numerous reports about the financial pressures facing universities, with concerns that some may collapse. In this discussion, we’ll explore the reasons behind these struggles, what occurs if a university fails, and whether the government can intervene to resolve the issue. Additionally, we’ll look at the broader, long-term challenges confronting the higher and further education sectors. Why are universities in financial trouble, what are the consequences of a university failing, and what role can the government play in offering support? What other challenges do the higher and further education sectors face?
LSE Business Review published 24 June 2024
Authors: Jasmine Virhia, Grace Lordan
Abstract
Mistakes can be opportunities for learning and personal and professional growth. But for that to happen, employees need psychologically safe work environments. Jasmine Virhia and Grace Lordan write that, by fostering acceptance, respect, and open communication, organisations can unlock the full potential of their teams, enabling them to learn from their mistakes and engage in behaviours that drive collaboration and continuous improvement.
Read: How our mistakes are judged can have lasting career impacts
LSE Business Review published 25 April 2024
Author: Jasmine Virhia
Abstract
Many assumptions surround the capabilities of autistic people, especially in the workplace. As a result, stereotypes and a lack of understanding of the skills of many autistic people influence their employment rates and stagnate inclusivity. Jasmine Virhia interviewed autistic workers in different sectors and lets them describe their experiences in their own words.
Read: Autistic workers describe their work experiences in their own words
LSE Business Review published 28 March 2024
Authors: Jasmine Virhia, Violet
Abstract
Lived experience is important for human resources professionals to develop an empathetic and inclusive workplace. It helps them understand and address the needs of individuals, strengthening relationships between employers and employees. Jasmine Virhia interviewed Violet, a trans woman, about her lived workplace experience. Violet is a diversity and inclusion professional who highlights the impact that misgendering at work has on her mental health, shedding light on possible actions by employers.
Read: Organisations must pay attention to the lived experiences of transgender employees
Psychology Today published November 2023
Author: Odessa Hamilton
Abstract
The interest in quiet quitting has been predominantly shaped by whether it anecdotal or real, a fad or a long-term phenomenon. This interest has extended to understanding the types of people who engage in quiet quitting, along with its effects on organisations and the economy at large. But it seems we continue to ignore the elephant in the room: Why do people quiet quit? What is driving this phenomenon, and can organisations turn back the hands of time to restore workforce fidelity?
IZA Institute of Labor Economics published June 2023
Authors: Odessa Hamilton, Daniel Jolles, Grace Lordan
Abstract
The post-COVID-19 phenomenon of 'quiet quitting' could be problematic for UK economic growth because unpaid overtime has been a key contributor to business productivity since the 2008 global financial crisis. Here, we explore the extent to which this phenomenon exists in the UK, and whether the tendency for 'quiet quitting' differs across generations. We analysed data from the UK Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) between 2007-2022 to determine changes in hours worked. Quiet quitting was characterised by notable declines in hours worked between 2019-2022, benchmarked against 2007-2018 trajectories. Thus, we evidence that quiet quitting has interrupted the recovery of working hours in the UK to pre-pandemic levels, and lost hours are especially attributable to younger cohorts.
Read: Does the Tendency for 'Quiet Quitting' Differ across Generations?
LSE Business Review published 28 January 2023
Authors: Jack Britton, Monica Costa Dias, David Goll
Abstract
The United Kingdom is one of the worst performing countries in the OECD when it comes to “intergenerational mobility”, or the extent to which children’s labour market outcomes are predicted by the income of their parents. Recent work from the United States (Chetty et al, 2020) concluded that “changing how students are allocated to colleges could substantially increase intergenerational mobility, even without changing colleges’ educational programs.” This is an appealing argument for policymakers, as it implies well-designed policy tweaks could have large payoffs in terms of improving mobility.
Read: Can higher education policy boost intergenerational mobility?
MIT Sloan Management Review published June 2022
Authors: Grace Lordan, Teresa Almeida
Abstract
Achieving gender balance in management teams requires focusing on the role that the leadership environment plays in shaping ambitions, opportunities, and experience. Meaningful diversity and inclusion actions are now seen as mandatory for new generations entering the workforce. But the effectiveness of current measures in the finance sector falls short of these expectations. The 2021 Women in the Workplace study conducted by McKinsey and LeanIn.org found that women in North America remain dramatically underrepresented in financial services.
Read: How Empathy and Competence Promote a Diverse Leadership Culture
Economics Observatory published 14 March 2022
Authors: Claire Crawford, Gill Wyness
Abstract
The UK government is consulting on the introduction of minimum eligibility requirements for access to student loans. Claire Crawford and Gill Wyness argue that if such a reform is introduced, it is likely to prevent many who miss getting the required grades from going to university.
Read: How would minimum entry grades affect opportunities in higher education?
IFS published 4 October 2021
Authors: Arun Advani, Sonkurt Sen, Ross Warwick
Abstract
The economics profession – and the current student population studying economics – is not representative of society, with women, some ethnic minorities, and state school students underrepresented. While more than 7% of private school boys doing an undergraduate degree were studying economics in 2018/19, less than 1% of state school girls were. We highlight that interventions aimed at changing this picture need to consider the choices students make early on in their educational career. A Level Economics is a key gateway to further study in the subject, but access to and take-up of this qualification varies substantially according to a student’s background. As a result, improving representation within the economics profession in the long-term must include steps to ensure young students understand what the subject involves and the opportunities it provides, and have the chance to study it before university.
Education Economics published 21 July 2021
Authors: Andy Dickerson, Emily McDool. Damon Morris
Abstract
We use sequence analysis to compare the different trajectories that individuals take through the education system and into work and identify the characteristics that could be used to target those who are at most risk of poorer labour market outcomes. As well as age 16 exam performance, we find that parental advice, aspirations, and attitudes towards HE are important predictors of the pathways through education and into work. However, these pathways are not strongly determined at the end of compulsory education, and thus there are still opportunities for individuals to change their trajectory even after leaving school.
Read: Post-compulsory education pathways and labour market outcomes
IFS published 4 October 2021
Authors: Arun Advani, Sarah Smith, Ben Waltmann, Xiaowei Xu
Abstract
The gender pay gap opens up immediately after graduation, with male graduates earning 5% more than female graduates on average at age 25. Ten years after graduation – before most graduates start having children – the gender pay gap stands at 25%. Most of the initial gap can be explained by university subject choices, with women less likely to study subjects that lead to high-paying jobs: women make up just a third of graduates in economics, the subject with the highest financial returns, and two thirds of graduates in creative arts, the subject with the lowest returns. Subject choice continues contribute to the gender pay gap over time, but its relative importance fades as other factors (like having children and working part-time) come into play.
Read: Gender differences in subject choice
CAGE Working Paper 565 published May 2021
Authors: Arun Advani, Elliot Ash, David Kai, Imran Rasul
Abstract
How does economics compare to other social sciences in its study of issues related to race and ethnicity? We assess this using a corpus of 500,000 academic publications in economics, political science, and sociology. Using an algorithmic approach to classify race-related publications, we document that economics lags far behind the other disciplines in the volume and share of race-related research, despite having higher absolute volumes of research output. Since 1960, there have been 13,000 race-related publications in sociology, 4,000 in political science, and 3,000 in economics. Since around 1970, the share of economics publications that are race-related has hovered just below 2% (although the share is higher in top-5 journals); in political science the share has been around 4% since the mid-1990s, while in sociology it has been above 6% since the 1960s and risen to over 12% in the last decade. Finally, using survey data collected from the Social Science Prediction Platform, we find economists tend to overestimate the amount of race-related research in all disciplines, but especially so in economics.
LSE Public Policy Review published 23 May 2021
Authors: Cecily Josten, Grace Lordan
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a debate around which skills will be the most valuable in its aftermath. This study discusses the relevance of social skills in this debate and presents new evidence that shows its necessity. Specifically, we focus on knowledge workers and highlight that the importance of social skills was increasing pre-COVID-19 for these workers and that this importance has increased further during the pandemic, particularly for those in management roles. This study has also emphasised that we are at the beginning of the learning curve in understanding how social skills can be taught effectively to adults, and in particular knowledge workers. Establishing this evidence base is particularly important as governments around the world reconsider their skills agenda as a way to build up their economies post COVID-19.
IFS published 26 March 2021
Authors: Jack Britton, Lorraine Dearden, Ben Waltmann
Abstract
We investigate differences in the returns to undergraduate degrees by socio-economic background and ethnicity using the Department for Education’s Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data set. The LEO data set links school records, university records and tax records for everyone who took GCSEs in England since 2002. Using these data, we can estimate returns up to age 30.
Read: The returns to undergraduate degrees by socio-economic group and ethnicity
IFS published 26 October 2020
Authors: Arun Advani, Sonkurt Sen, Ross Warwick
Abstract
Economists are central to policymaking in the UK, and to providing the research that underpins that policymaking. Despite having this important role in society, economists are not very representative of society, with a well-documented under-representation of women in the profession. In this briefing note, we examine the ethnic diversity of academic economists who provide much of the research that ultimately feeds into policymaking. We use data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) to look at which groups are more or less well represented as academic economic researchers. We then examine economics students, to understand both the source of current under-representation and the prospects for change. Finally, we study some of the barriers faced by economics students. We are not able to examine diversity among the large number of economists who work outside academia, due to a lack of data.