Our Mission
to “carry out research into the economic and social forces that affect people’s lives, to improve the understanding of these forces, and the ways in which policy can bring about change”
We conduct high-quality research on policy relevant topics that are important to business, academia and policy-makers. Our core focus is on the UK but, given its nature as a relatively small open economy, we use our expertise to understand the effect any changes in the global context may have.
Serious commentators on economics and social policy look to NIESR for an informed and measured response to current news items and political debates, based on sound research and analysis. Our findings and commentary on the economy are therefore frequently covered by press and broadcast media.
Areas of Research Expertise
Our research areas can be broken down into the following eight areas:
- Destitution, Exclusion and Strategies for Well-Being
- Education and Skills
- Labour, Employment and Wages
- Macro-Economic Dynamics and Policy
- Macro-Economic Modelling and Forecasting
- Macro-Economics of Climate Change
- Political Economy
- Productivity, Trade and Regional Economies
Our Heritage in Economic Modelling and Simulation
First developed in 1987, NiGEM (the National Institute Global Econometric Model) is recognised as the leading global macroeconomic model used by many central banks and global organisations. It consists of individual country and regional models that are linked through trade in goods and services and integrated capital markets. It represents a “closed world” where outflows from one country or region are matched by inflows into others.
Alongside NiGEM, we also use a regional model called NiREMS to understand the impact of policies across the twelve NUTS1 regions in the United Kingdom, a sectoral model (NiSEM) to explore the different sectors and a dynamic structural microsimulation model (LINDA) that looks at the effects across households and income levels.
Our People
NIESR’s research team combines academic economists, policy experts, and data scientists. Led by our Director, David Aikman supported by the wider leadership team alongside the Council of Management chaired by Sir Philip Rutnam. Our President is Sir Paul Tucker.
Our Publications and Insights
Through our blogs, opinion pieces and podcasts we comment on current issues and share our expertise on both UK and global economic issues. Alongside this analysis we also publish:
Quarterly Economic Outlook
Using NiGEM and our wider suite of models, each quarter we provide a comprehensive forecast on the UK economy, as well as an overview of the global factors affecting it..
Monthly Trackers
Using ONS data, each month we track a series of key economic indicators, including Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation (CPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and wages, and uses this data to forecast the future of the UK economy.
The National Institute Economic Review
Our peer-reviewed, quarterly journal is published by Cambridge University Press and contains articles of both academic and policy interest, with contributions from leading economists and social scientists.
Contact and Membership
To learn more about our work, join our membership programme, or collaborate with us, please visit our Membership page.