National Institute of Economic and Social Research Occasional Papers – serie

In 1989, one-parent families comprised seventeen percent of all families with dependent children, and their number almost doubled in the previous two decades. Almost all the information we previously had about them came from 'snapshots' in cross-section surveys. This 1991 book analyzes the flows into and out of lone parenthood, using demographic and employment histories from a British national survey carried out in 1980. It studies how various socio-economic characteristics of women and their economic environment, such as welfare benefits, affect these flows, and how these interact to determine the attributes of the population of one-parent families, particularly their economic circumstances. The book also studies the lone parents' movements into and out of paid employment, and the effect of welfare benefits on their employment. The analyses are used to gauge the effects of alternative policies on one-parent families, their paid employment, and their living standards.

This book, first published in 1992, measures and explains the performance of major competitor countries in international financial services. Covering the markets for foreign exchange, mergers and acquisition advice, syndicated loans, Eurobonds, international equities, Eurocommercial paper, and Euro paper notes, the author assesses performance on the basis of the shares of the major institutional players in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Explanations for the contrasts in national performance are sought through interviews with senior officials of financial institutions operating in selected markets. The role and importance of a number of explanatory factors are then examined, including the structure of national banking sectors, capital inputs, technology, regulation, and domestic economic conditions. The book concludes by asking how the banking sectors of different countries are likely to fare as international trade in financial services is liberalised.

How much of the growth of output can be accounted for by the growth of inputs and how much is due to the growth of productivity? This book, first published in 1994, is a detailed attempt to answer this question for Britain. Estimates of outputs and inputs for over 130 industries were constructed, following the methodology pioneered by Professor Dale Jorgenson. These estimates can be employed to build up a picture of the performance of UK manufacturing as a whole. Contrary to the impression left by some previous authors, growth of productivity is found to play a relatively minor role - growth of inputs, when properly measured, accounts for most of the growth of output. The wealth of data which this book presents can also be used to shed light on a number of recent controversial views attached to the 'New Growth Theory'. According to this theory, externalities and increasing returns, often held to be associated with fixed investment, are the engine of economic growth. However, this book finds that the evidence does not support these claims.

This 1994 book offers a comparison of British and German industries' reaction to the opportunities and threats offered by the single European market (SEM). It outlines the effect that the SEM was expected to have on the two countries and contrasts this with their actual progress based on published data and a detailed study of four industries. While the single European market has had an impact, many measures have had a far weaker effect than expected. The existence of other barriers not tackled by the SEM programme - weakened measures, poor implementation, global business trends and the recent recession - helps dominate the impact of the SEM. Nevertheless the SEM stands out as one of the striking influences on British and German industries for many years. Germany, with its geographical advantage and stronger manufacturing seems better placed to benefit, but the less regulated and often more flexible UK economy may have competitive advantages as the pressures increase.

Over the past few decades there have been surges in productivity in a number of countries, in particular in the UK under the Thatcher government. Explanations of these changes have not been satisfactory. This compelling 1996 book examines the data relating to these changes at an individual establishment level. Chapters cover the UK, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Norway and Sweden, and comparisons also include Germany and the Netherlands. Using a variety of the most up-to-date methods of analysis, the contributors show that there is no single simple explanation. Changes in competitive conditions, skills, innovation and the growth of small firms all have their part to play, as does the widespread closure of the least productive establishments.