1. You are here:
  2. Homepage
  3. Resource search
  4. Research: Wealth in the downturn: winners and losers
Industry research & guides
10 March 2015
by Social Market Foundation

Research: Wealth in the downturn: winners and losers

This is a piece of research from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) into wealth, but in particular the lack of financial resilience among lower paid workers.Go to SMF website to download the report Wealth in the downturn: winners and losers (If this link breaks please let me know)The SMF says about the reportOur analysis is based on the UK Longitudinal Household Survey (also known as Understanding Society) and its predecessor, the British Household Panel Study (BHPS). These surveys provide data on thousands of households from across the UK. Unlike most surveys, Understanding Society and BHPS track the same individuals over time. This means that they can be used to go beyond simple analysis of snapshots in time, to examine the specific changes that individuals experience over a number of years.Those on the lowest incomes have not built up their financial resilience. On average, they have less than six days’ worth of income in savings. Just under a quarter of them hold non-mortgage debt; and that debt is, on average, equivalent to around 28% of their income.There is a need to support those on the lower incomes and younger age groups to save more.

Related topics

Reward & compensation Financial wellbeing
Return to listing

You may also be interested in

Innecto_LP.jpg 4
17 September 2026

How strong pay progression supports talent retention

Setting out a clear pay progression route gives employees a stronger reason to build their future where they are instead of looking elsewhere. It works out to be more cost effective for you as an employer too.

Turning Point_LP.jpg 28
16 September 2026

Why a pay structure review must be a budget priority

As summer draws to a close, many organisations are beginning the process of setting budgets for the year ahead. With this comes a familiar challenge: how to balance competing priorities while investing in the workforce needed to deliver future success. For HR leaders, one question deserves particular attention: does the current pay structure remain fit for purpose?

WTW_LP.jpg 13
4 September 2026

Job structures to skills currencies: How to build workforce resilience

The traditional job-based model, accelerated by AI, geopolitical volatility and shifting workforce expectations, is struggling to keep up with the speed at which organisations need to move. The question for HR and reward leaders is no longer whether skills matter, but what it really takes to become a skills-based organisation.