Inequality and Social Policy - Economics Research

Background

This is an applied cluster that focuses on understanding socio-economic inequalities in its various dimensions, in both developed and developing economies, from both a micro and macroeconomic perspective. Our recent work covers the following themes:

Inequalities
Human capital
Crime
Health
Diversity in the workplace

Our Members

Inequalities:

Human capital:

Crime:

Health:

Diversity in the workplace (Link):

PhD Students:

Jim Chen
Yan Chai
Junyu Qiu

Publications

Inequality and diversity in the workplace:

Levine, P. , McKnight, S. , Mihailov, A. , Swarbrick, J. (2025) Limited asset market participation and monetary policy in a small open economy. Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control , 173
Isiaka, A. , Mihailov, A. , Razzu, G. (2024) Fiscal policy and inequality in middle- and high-income countries: redistributive effects of tax and spending shocks. Macroeconomic Dynamics
Clark, A. , Mihailov, A., Zargham, M. (2024) Complex systems modeling of community inclusion currencies. Computational Economics , 64 pp. 1259-1294.
Farvaque, E. , Mihailov, A., Naghavi, A. (2018) The grand experiment of communism: discovering the trade-off between equality and efficiency. Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, 174 (4). pp. 707-742.
Bosworth, S., Gimenez‐Nadal, J., Sevilla, A. (2024) Parental time investments and instantaneous well‐being in the United States. Scottish Journal of Political Economy pp 0. ISSN: 1467-9485 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sjpe.12402
Bosworth, S. and Snower, D. (2023) Technological advance, social fragmentation and welfare. Social Choice and Welfare ISSN: 1432-217X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00355-023-01484-0
Biroli, P. , Bosworth, S. , Della Giusta, M. , Di Girolamo, A. , Jaworska, S. , Vollen, J. (2021) Family life in lockdown. Frontiers in Psychology , 12 ISSN: 1664-1078 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.687570
Snower, D. and Bosworth, S. (2021) Economic, social and political fragmentation: linking knowledge-biased growth, identity, populism and protectionism. European Journal of Political Economy , 67 ISSN: 0176-2680 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2020.101965
Della Giusta, M. and Bosworth, S. (2020) Bias and discrimination: what do we know?. Oxford Review of Economic Policy , 36 (4). pp. 925-943. ISSN: 1460-2121 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/graa045
Gender Inequality [some of the papers under creative graduate link to gender inequality in the labour market)
Jewell, S. , Razzu, G. , Singleton, C. (2020) Who works for whom and the UK gender pay gap. British Journal of Industrial Relations , 58 (1). pp. 50-81. ISSN: 0007-1080 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12497
Isiaka, A., Mihailov, A. and Razzu, G. (2024) Fiscal policy and inequality in middle- and high-income countries: redistributive effects of tax and spending shocks. Macroeconomic Dynamics. ISSN 1469-8056
Razzu, G. and Wambile, A. (2021) Four decades of intergenerational educational mobility in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Development Studies, 58(5). doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2021.2008366
Razzu, G., Singleton, C., Mitchell M.(2020) On why the gender employment gap in Britain has stalled since the early 1990s. Industrial Relations Journal, 51 (6). pp. 476-501. ISSN 0019-8692
Razzu, G., (2020) Covid-19 pandemic and gender inequality in the labour market in the UK. In: Billio, M. and Varotto, S. (eds.) A New World Post COVID-19 Lessons for Business, the Finance Industry and Policy Makers. Ca Foscari University Press, Venice, Italy. ISBN 9788869694424 doi: https://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-442-4/021
Jewell, S., Razzu, G., Singleton, C (2020). Who works for whom and the UK gender pay gap. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 58 (1). pp. 50-81. ISSN 0007-1080 doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12497
Razzu, G. and Singleton, C. (2018) Segregation and gender gaps in the United Kingdom’s great recession and recovery. Feminist Economics, 24 (4). pp. 31-55. ISSN 1466-4372
Razzu G. (ed) (2016) Gender inequality in the Eastern European Labour Market. Twenty-Five Years of transition since the fall of communism. Routledge.
Razzu, G. and Singleton, C. (2016) “Gender and the Business Cycle: A Stocks and Flows Analysis of US and UK Labour Market States” in Journal of Macroeconomics, Vol 47:131-146.
Razzu, G. (ed.) (2015) Gender inequality in the labour market in the UK. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Longhi S., Nandi A., Bryan M., Connolly S., Gedikli C. (2025) Do All Job Changes Increase Wellbeing? Industrial Relations – A Journal of Economy and Society, 64(1): 23-39. http://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12354
Longhi S., Nandi A., Bryan M., Connolly S., Gedikli C. (2024) Life Satisfaction and Unemployment – The role of Gender Attitudes and Work Identity, Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 71: 219-236. http://doi.org/10.1111/sjpe.12366
Della Giusta, M., Longhi S. (2021) Stung by Pension Reforms: The Unequal Impact of Changes in State Pension Age on UK Women and their Partners, Labour Economics, 72:102049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2021.102049
Longhi S. (2020) A Longitudinal Analysis of Ethnic Unemployment Differentials in the UK, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 46(5): 879-892.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1539254
Longhi S. (2020) Does Geographical Location Matter for Ethnic Wage Gaps?, Journal of Regional Science, 60(3): 538-557. https://doi.org/10.1111/jors.12469
Longhi S. (2020) Racial wage differentials in developed countries, IZA World of Labor 2020: 365 doi: 10.15185/izawol.365.v2
Brynin M., Longhi S., Zwysen W. (2019) The Diversification of Inequality, British Journal of Sociology, 70(1): 70-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12341

Human capital:

Pemberton, J. , Jewell, S. , Faggian, A. , King, Z. (2013) Higher education as a portfolio investment: students’ choices about studying, term time employment, leisure, and loans. Oxford Economic Papers , 65 (2). pp. 268-292. ISSN: 1464-3812
de Bernard, M. , Comunian, R. , Jewell, S. , Salvador, E. , O’Brien, D. (2023) The role of higher education in sustainable creative careers: exploring UK theatre graduates and theatre careers. Industry and Higher Education ISSN: 2043-6858 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09504222231186366
Comunian, R. , Jewell, S. , Sunmoni, A. , Dent, T. (2023) For what it’s worth: European Arts & Humanities graduates’ employability and their engagement in society. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education , 22 (2). pp. 211-232. ISSN: 1741-265X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14740222231156892
Jewell, S. , Park, S. , Crociata, A. (2022) Glass ceilings sticky floors, and satisfaction: rewards and remuneration. In: Brook, S. , Comunian, R. , Corcoran, J. , Faggian, A. , Jewell, S. , Webb, J. , (eds.) Gender and the creative labour market: graduates in Australia and the UK. Palgrave Macmillan Cham ISBN: 9783031050664 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05067-1_3
Brook, S. , Comunian, R. , Corcoran, J. , Faggian, A. , Jewell, S. , Webb, J. , eds. (2022) Gender and the creative labour market: graduates in Australia and the UK. Palgrave Macmillan Cham ISBN: 9783031050664 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05067-1
Brook, S. , Comunian, R. , Jewell, S. , Lee, J. (2020) More than a day job, a fair job: music graduate employment in education. Music Education Research , 22 (5). pp. 541-554. ISSN: 1469-9893 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2020.1840539
Comunian, R. , Faggian, A. , Jewell, S. (2015) Digital technology and creative arts career patterns in the UK creative economy. Journal of Education and Work , 28 (4). pp. 346-368. ISSN: 1363-9080
Comunian, R. , Faggian, A. , Jewell, S. (2014) Embedding arts and humanities in the creative economy: the role of graduates in the UK. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy , 32 (3). pp. 426-450
Faggian, A. , Communian, R. , Jewell, S. , Kelly, U. (2013) Bohemian graduates in the UK: disciplines and location determinants for entering creative careers. Regional Studies , 47 (2). pp. 183-200. ISSN: 1360-059
Chung, A. , Zhang Junsen (forthcoming) Physical attractiveness, drug taking, and gender differences, Canadian Journal of Economics.
Chung, A. , Xiong, Y. , Zhang, J. (2022) An economic analysis of tiger parenting: evidence from child developmental delay or learning disability. Labour Economics , 78.
Borbely, D., Gehrsitz, M., McIntyre, S., Rossi, G., & Roy, G. (2023). Early years multi‐grade classes and pupil attainment. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 85(6), 1295-1319.
Borbely, D., Gehrsitz, M., McIntyre, S., & Rossi, G. (2024). Does the provision of universal free school meals improve school attendance?. Economics of Education Review, 103, 102597.
Borbely, D., Gehrsitz, M., McIntyre, S., Rossi, G., & Roy, G. (2024). Rurality, socio‐economic disadvantage and educational mobility: A Scottish case study. British Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 162-182.

Health

Gschwandtner, A. , Jewell, S. , Kambhampati, U. (2022) Lifestyle and life satisfaction: the role of delayed gratification. Journal of Happiness Studies , 23 pp. 1043-1072. ISSN: 1573-7780 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00440-y
Jewell, S. and Kambhampati, U. (2015) Are happy youth also satisfied adults? An analysis of the impact of childhood factors on adult life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research , 121 (2). pp. 543-567. ISSN: 1573-092
Della Giusta, M. , Jewell, S. , Kambhampati, U. (2011) Gender and life satisfaction in the UK. Feminist Economics , 17 (3). pp. 1-34. ISSN: 1466-4372 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2011.582028
Zhu, M. (2021) Evidence-based medicine and healthcare quality in the context of information failure: the case of the UK fertility sector. PharmacoEconomics – Open , 5 pp. 561-576. ISSN: 2509-4254 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41669-021-00285-4
Lovo, S and Rawlings, SB (2024) “The Health Burden of E-Waste: The Impact of E-Waste Dumping Sites on Child Mortality” forthcoming at The World Bank Economic Review, https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhae053
Rawlings SB and Siddique, Z (2020) ‘Domestic Violence and Child Mortality in the Developing World‘ Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Volume 82, Issue 4, pp. 723-750, August 2020
Pieters, J and Rawlings, SB ‘Parental Unemployment and Child Health in China‘ (2020), Review of Economics of the Household, Volume 18, Issue 1, pp 207–237, March 2020

Crime

Projects

Sarah Jewell

Title: Maternal Well-Being Infant Feeding and Return to Paid Work

Areas: Diversity in the Workplace and health

Investigators: Professor Sarah Jewell (PI), Dr Sam Rawlings, Dr Fari Aftab, Professor Grace James (School of Law), Professor Sylvia Jaworska (Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics), Professor Marina Della Giusta (University of Turin)

Funder: Nuffield Foundation – https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/project/maternal-wellbeing-infant-feeding-return-to-work March 2022-June 2025

Project overview: The study, funded by the Nuffield foundation explores the well-being, opportunities and experiences of new mothers who want to continue to breastfeed on return to paid work in the UK. It is focused on investigating the lived realities of return to paid work and physical (health) and emotional well-being of this particular group of working mothers. The study aims to understand how mothers can be better supported in the workplace, and how employers can be better equipped to support their breastfeeding workers. The project brings together researchers from economics, law and applied linguistics, and uses a mixed method drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data. Please see the project webpage for more information: https://research.reading.ac.uk/accommodating-diversity-in-the-workplace/current-projects/maternal-well-being-infant-feeding-and-return-to-paid-work-decisions/

Title: Creative Graduates

Area: Human Capital

Investigators: Sarah Jewell (University of Reading), Roberta Comunian (King’s College London), Alessandra Faggian (Gran Sasso Science Institute) and Scott Brook (RMIT University)

Project overview: This research explores the career trajectories and labor market outcomes of creative graduates, with a focus on their integration into the Creative and Cultural Industries. Sarah Jewell has collaborated extensively with Professor Roberta Comunian and Professor Alessandra Faggian, frequently utilizing HESA data to analyze employment patterns in the UK.

Sarah Jewell was also a partner investigator on the project “So what do you do?: Tracking Creative Graduates in Australia and the UK’s Creative and Cultural Industries”, a comparative study examining creative graduates’ career paths in the UK and Australia. This project, led by Dr. Scott Brook (RMIT University) and funded by the Australian research council, investigates the role of education, human capital, and industry-specific factors in shaping employment opportunities for creative professionals.

Alexander Mihailov

Title: “Recursive Modelling of Labour Market Dynamics in Exploring Formal- vs Informal-Sector Choices: The Case of the Bulgarian Economy,”

Investigators: 17 researchers from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA) of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and the Institute for Economic Research (IER) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Ilia Atanasov and Stefan Petranov – Authors of a completed chapter in a monograph, set for publication in 2025 (in Bulgarian). A sequel paper (in English) is currently in progress.

Funder: BGN 347’500 (EUR 177’674) grant project from the Scientific Research Fund (SRF) of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science over 3 years on “Labour Market Adaptation to the Conditions of Eurozone Membership: Socio-Economic Dynamics, Technological Modernisation, Demographic Change and Education Restructuring”

Project overview:

This project focuses on labor market adaptation in Bulgaria under Eurozone membership conditions, exploring socio-economic dynamics, technological modernization, demographic changes, and education restructuring. The research employs recursive modeling to analyze labor market choices between the formal and informal sectors. A completed chapter of the monograph will be published in 2025, with a follow-up paper in English in progress.

Additionally, another ongoing research project, “Give Light, and the Darkness Will Disappear of Itself: Political and Cultural Effects of the Erasmus Programme,” is being developed in collaboration with Nils Steiner, Ruxanda Berlinschi, Etienne Farvaque, Jan Fidrmuc, Philipp Harms, and Piotr Stanek. A discussion paper and journal publication are currently being prepared based on this work.

Neha Hui

Title: Occupational Prestige and Skill Gaps amongst Marginalised Communities in India

Investigators: Ashmita Gupta (Asian Development Research Institute, India) ,Neha Hui and Uma Kambhampati

Funders: Overseas Development Assistance(ODA)

Project overview: We look at factors determining access to good quality occupations for marginalised groups in India. We will use innovative machine-learning techniques to design a low cost survey to analyse the constituents of quality in jobs and identify skill gaps resulting in poor quality employment . Our findings will be used to inform curriculum design in skill development programmes run by our collaborator organisation for the government.

Title: Well being and optimism in MENA

Investigators: Niaz Asadullah (North South University, Bangladesh), Nazmul Chaudhuri (World Bank), Neha Hui and Uma Kambhampati

Project overview: Utilizing newly available household survey data from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank we look at determinants of well being and optimism in conflict torn countries of Middle East and North Africa

Title: Patriarchy and Gender based division of labour within houesholds

Investigators: Supriya Garikipati (University College Dublin), Neha Hu and Uma Kambhampati

Project overview: We look at the persistance of patriarchy within Indian households. Using data from dual earning Indian households we find that while the division of labour had shifted following the external shock of the pandemic, households returned to the base level of patriarchy in relation to household division of labour.

Andy Chung

Title: Beauty and Video Gaming

Area: Human capital

Investigators: Andy Chung, Daniel S. Hamermesh (University of Texas – Austin and Royal Holloway), Carl Singleton (University of Stirling), Zhengxin Wang (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics) and Junsen Zhang (Chinese University of Hong Kong and Zhejiang University)

Project Overview: This study explores the effect of physical appearance (beauty) on gaming behavior for adults and teenagers. This project began in 2022. Andy presented the paper at Internal Research Day (June 2023). The research has been completed as a working paper “Looks and Gaming: Who and Why?” and has already been submitted for publication.

Title: Native-Immigrant Earning Gap in the UK

Area: inequality, human capital

Investigators: Andy Chung, Giovanni Razzu and Carl Singleton (University of Stirling)

Project Overview: This study examines the fluctuations in the native-immigrant earning gap in the UK, analyzing how wage disparities between native-born and immigrant workers evolve over time and the factors influencing these variations. The project commenced in July 2022. Ongoing research aims to provide insights into labor market inequalities and potential policy implications.

Title: Football and Crime

Area: crime

Investigators: Andy Chung, James Reade and Gennaro Rossi

Project Overview: This study examines the relationship between football and crime behavior, focusing on how football matches and football club league performance influence crime rates in local communities.

Gennaro Rossi

Title: Education and Crime: School Closures and Segregation

Area: Crime

Investigator: Gennaro Rossi

Project overview: Gennaro Rossi has contributed to research on the intersection of education, crime, and segregation, with a particular focus on Scotland and England. His recent work includes:

Borbely, D., Gehrsitz, M., McIntyre, S., & Rossi, G. (2023). Permanent School Closures and Crime: Evidence from Scotland (No. 16523). IZA Discussion Papers.

Drayton, E., Greaves, E., & Rossi, G. (2023). School and neighbourhood segregation in Scotland and England. The Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Giovanni Razzu

Title: INHABIT 2020-2025 (Inclusive Health And wellBeing In small and medium size ciTies)

Area: Inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu

Funder: Horizon 2020 (H2020-SC5-2018-2019-2020)

Project Overview: This project focuses on greening the economy in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Giovanni Razzu serves as the Lead Investigator at the University of Reading and a Co-Investigator for Work Package 6 (WP6). His research within this project emphasizes behavioral change, particularly concerning gender and diversity in small and medium-sized cities.

Title: Boosting Pay Transparency (2024–2025)

Area: Inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu

Funder: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
Project Overview: This project aims to develop evidence-based practical guidance and tools for gender-neutral job evaluations and classification systems (GenJET). It contributes to addressing gender-based disparities in pay transparency and fair job assessments across various sectors.

Title: Intergenerational Education Mobility in Bangladesh (2023–2024)

Area: Inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu
Funder: World Bank
Project Overview: This study explores the role of gender and geography in intergenerational education mobility in Bangladesh. The research involves analyzing the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) as part of the Poverty and Equity Global Practice SAR Region report on Poverty Assessment in Bangladesh. The findings contribute to policy discussions on education accessibility and mobility within different socioeconomic groups.

Title: Equality and Fairness in Performance Assessment (2020–2022)

Area: Inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu
Funder: Ernst & Young
Project Overview: This project reviewed equality and fairness in performance assessment processes in professional environments. The research assessed biases in evaluation methods and provided recommendations for more equitable systems. A related academic paper from this project is currently under review.

Title: Women in Decision-Making (2021)

Area: inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu

Funder: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)

Project Overview: This project focused on gender representation in decision-making positions and contributed to the Gender Statistics Database for IPA Beneficiary Countries. It assessed existing data collection methods and identified key data gaps related to women’s leadership roles.

Title: Evaluation of Gender Mainstreaming Measurement Framework (2019)

Area: inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu

Funder: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)

Project Overview: This study assessed new measurement frameworks for gender mainstreaming, evaluating their effectiveness in policy implementation. The findings provided insights for improving gender equality strategies across various institutions and governance structures.

Title: Women and Poverty Evaluation (2019)

Area: Inequality

Investigator: Giovanni Razzu

Funder: European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)

Project Overview: This project analyzed gender disparities in poverty and economic well-being as part of the Beijing Platform for Action 2020. It provided an evaluation of existing poverty measures and their effectiveness in capturing the socioeconomic challenges faced by women.

Events

Infant Feeding and Return to Work conference, June 19^th 2024, University of Reading. Presentations.
Accommodating Diversity in the Workplace Events.
3^rd Accommodating Diversity in the Workplace Conference 16^th/17^th June 2025, University of Reading. Call for papers.
Accommodating Diversity in the Workplace, Monthly Webinar series 2024/2025
2^nd Accommodating Diversity in the Workplace Conference , 11^th June 2024m University of Reading.
1^st Accommodating Diversity in the Workplace Conference, 19^th/20^th June, 2023, University of Reading

Research Led Teaching

- Intergenerational Political Macroeconomics (PhD-level mini-course): University of Lille, Lille, visiting professor, Nov – Dec 17
- EC302 – Advanced Macroeconomics: Alexander uses his work (JITE 2018 publication above and DP on inflation beliefs and monetary institutions above) on the intergenerational dynamics of beliefs to illustrate the long-run evolution of institutions and how societies learn from history.
- EC322 – Economics of Labour
- EC140 – Principles of Economics 1: Andy used his latest working paper “Looks and Gaming: Who and Why?” as an example for demonstrating Economics methodology.
- ECM604/651 – Econometrics 1/Economic Data Analysis: Andy used his published paper “An Economic Analysis of Tiger Parenting: Evidence from Child Developmental Delay or Learning Disability” as example in class and for the project; he also used James’ paper “What cannot be cured must be endured: The long-lasting effect of a COVID-19 infection on workplace productivity” (published at Labour Economics) as example in class; Andy used the Annual Population Survey dataset for the project “Native-immigrant Earning Gap,” for computer lab sessions and module project; Andy discussed with students on generating usable variables from this raw dataset and shared with them his experience in doing research with this dataset.

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