As we head towards the end of a very challenging year, analytical directors, Liz McKeown and Darren Morgan reflect on the huge efforts put in by colleagues at the ONS to maintain, improve and develop new high-quality statistics on a scale never seen before.
Read more on Looking back at 2020: A statistical year like no other
Eradicating forced labour, and ending human trafficking, are two key parts of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Professor Sir Bernard Silverman is a leading academic and public servant who has been working on modern slavery for the past decade. Here he explains why the latest work of the Office for National Statistics is crucial in the fight against a brutal crime which denies people their dignity, safety and freedom.
Read more on Understanding the nature of modern slavery in the UK
Alongside the traditional measures of prosperity like GDP, the ONS is at the forefront of an international movement that’s developing new and alternative economic indicators that go beyond simple financial value. Central to this work are the plans to develop new ways of measuring ‘human capital’ that have been unveiled today. Here John Marais makes the case for measuring human capital better.
Read more on People matter: improving our estimates of human capital
New work to fill evidence gaps on disability, job quality and domestic abuse are among the projects delivered by ONS Public Policy Analysis in recent months. For Liz McKeown, the ability to work collaboratively across government and beyond is key to providing new insight on topics that matter.
Read more on Filling Key Evidence Gaps: Public Policy Quarterly Review
Child abuse is an appalling crime against some of the most vulnerable in society. It’s something that’s not often discussed or well understood, and there has been a lack of complete statistics. The Office for National Statistics has been working to produce the most comprehensive picture possible by incorporating questions into the Crime Survey for England and Wales and analysing this alongside other sources of data, which can only tell a partial story. Here Meghan Elkin explains how bringing data sources together helps us better understand both the nature of child abuse and the potential demand on support services.
Read more on Understanding the extent and nature of child abuse