It’s that time of year when the ONS updates its famous ‘Basket of Goods and Services’. This time around there’s some notable additions and removals, which once again help to underline changing consumer purchasing behaviour.
Read more on Basket of Goods 2019 – measuring inflation and tracking changing consumer trends
High levels of income inequality have been associated with lower economic growth, poor social cohesion and limited social mobility. But the most effective policy responses need to be informed by the best data. Here Richard Tonkin discusses how the ONS is upgrading its household income statistics to make them more accurate, relevant and accessible than ever before.
Read more on Revealing income inequalities: New data sources shed new light on key policy challenge.
Making ONS statistics more accessible is a key part of the ‘Better Statistics, Better Decisions’ strategy. With the ups and downs of the job market closely followed by experts and non-specialists alike, our reporting of employment statistics is changing to make the information easier to find and the main stories stand out. David Freeman reveals how.
Read more on Transforming how we report employment – why four is better than one
Evolving shopping habits are keeping UK retailers on their toes, forcing many to adapt to survive. The rise of online sales and the disappearance of some big names from UK high streets have also challenged ONS to maintain the accuracy and relevance of the Retail Sales Index. As Rhian Murphy explains, the breadth of its coverage means the RSI remains a leading indicator – not just of retailing but of the economy as a whole.
Read more on Shopping Around for Retail Data? How ONS keeps tabs on a fast-changing sector
ONS is continuing to develop new ways of measuring and reporting the UK’s economic and social progress. Richard Tonkin introduces the new Personal and Economic Well-being publication and how it helps us better answer important questions about how are we all doing?’
Read more on Beyond GDP: How ONS is developing wider measures of well-being
