‘Shining a light on society’ – innovating to answer big policy questions

Categories: Data, Public Policy Analysis Quarterly Review

Award-winning work on homelessness, world-leading progress in measuring sustainable development and the transformation of the UK’s migration estimates are just three current projects in ONS Public Policy Analysis.  They show how the ONS is uniquely placed to harness the potential of new data sources and answer important questions facing Britain today.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals: How does climate change jeopardise the chances of a sustainable future?

Fiona Dawe
Categories: Office for National Statistics, ONS, Population

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a global initiative that pledges to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The ONS has a leading role in the UK’s response and is now busy measuring our progress towards achieving each of the seventeen goals.

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Local jobs for local people? How the ONS keeps abreast of shifting employment patterns

Categories: ONS

The monthly UK employment figures are among the most closely-watched indicators of the nation’s economic health.  But behind the headline figures, the Office for National Statistics also gathers a wealth of local employment data that offer valuable insight into the everchanging nature and distribution of jobs. David Freeman sets out what’s available, how we gather it, and looks forward to some new and even more detailed statistics to come.       

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Statistics are a global power for public good

Categories: Data, Office for National Statistics, Office for Statistics Regulation, ONS, UK Statistics Authority

The Office for National Statistics are leading an international project to begin to define the true value for official statistics around the world.  Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation at the UK Statistics Authority, reflects on why this is important and how it could help to transform evidence based decision making on an international scale.

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How we measure what the Government owns and what it owes

Categories: Economy, Office for National Statistics, ONS

It’s well known that the Government has large amounts of debt, currently £1.8 trillion according to the headline measure. But what about other liabilities that are not included in this figure and what about all the assets the Government owns? Here, David Bailey sets out the way we measure it all and how the numbers are being improved.

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