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TASC Forum The Imperative of Economic Equality

TASC Forum The Imperative of Economic Equality. The Solidarity Factor. Achieving Economic Equality in Ireland – a Public Policy Imperative Presentation by Paula Clancy (Director, TASC) for ICTU Biennial Delegate Conference, July 9 th 2009. Profiling Inequality.

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TASC Forum The Imperative of Economic Equality

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  1. TASC Forum The Imperative of Economic Equality

  2. The Solidarity Factor Achieving Economic Equality in Ireland – a Public Policy Imperative Presentation by Paula Clancy (Director, TASC) for ICTU Biennial Delegate Conference, July 9th 2009

  3. Profiling Inequality • The TASC/ICTU Income Inequality Poster Project will graphically illustrate who gets how much

  4. Income, Occupation and Household Type

  5. TASC’s Agenda Putting Reduction of Economic Inequality at the Centre of Public Policy “Equal societies almost always do better” (Wilkinson/Pickett, The Spirit Level) Economic inequality drives all inequality

  6. The Equality Imperative • Inequality causes dysfunctional societies • There is an incontrovertible correlation between equality and the wellbeing of society as a whole

  7. Economic Equality: the new Public Policy Imperative Achieving economic equality will require concerted action by civil society groups and individuals to make the case for a new public policy imperative. The public is already leading the economic equality agenda.

  8. Distribution of Wealth in IrelandAll Adults 18+: 956 Level of Surprise at OECD view of unequal distribution Concern at unequal wealth distribution Fairness of Distribution 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 Very Quite/fairly Not very Not at all J.1173

  9. The Government should take Active Steps to Reduce Gap Between High and Low Earners X Gender & AgeAll Adults 18+: 956 GENDER AGE Total Male Female U25 25-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Base: 956 480 476 124 197 245 203 187 Agree strongly Agree somewhat Neither Disagree somewhat Disagree strongly J.1173

  10. Upward Equality Replace concept of ‘upward mobility’ – which implicitly recognises inequality – with new concept of ‘upward equality’

  11. The challenge To translate the public desire for economic equality into a public policy reality

  12. We know that … … Ireland is characterised by high levels of economic inequality

  13. Ireland has some very wealthy people For example: The Top 1% of the Irish population enjoys around €100 billion worth of assets... and owns 20% of the nation’s wealth. Source: Bank of Ireland, Wealth of the Nation 2007

  14. … and Ireland has many people living in poverty For example: 16.5 % of the population is ‘at risk of poverty’ 5.1 % of the population are living in consistent poverty 19.9 % of children are living in relative poverty 7.4% of children are living in consistent poverty Source: EU-SILC 2007

  15. Disposable Weekly Income 2007 Amount Relative to lowest 10% Highest earners € 2,491.21 x12.9 € 1,493.34 x7.7 € 1,212.83 x6.3 € 1,017.48 x5.3 € 828.32 x4.3 € 677.90 x3.5 € 549.64 x2.8 € 428.98 x2.2 € 312.49 x1.6 Lowest earners € 193.15 = 1 Source: EU-SILC 2007

  16. Gender Median hourly earnings (October 2006) Men € 16.63 Women € 14.32 Women’s earnings are 86.1% of male earnings Source: National Employment Survey, October 2006

  17. Part-time vs. Full-time Full-time workers 20.11 / hour Part-time workers 14.76 / hour Source: 2006 National Employment Survey

  18. Employment Status Average annual equivalised disposable income € 28,504 At work € 20,286 Student € 19,944 Retired € 18,369 Home duties € 15,882 Unemployed € 15,065 Not at work due to illness or disability Source: EU-SILC 2007

  19. Education Average annual equivalised disposable income € 37,612 Third level degree or above € 28,295 Third level non degree € 23,943 Post leaving cert € 23,487 Higher secondary € 19,766 Lower secondary € 16,507 Primary or below

  20. Other Factors (Annual Disposable Income) • Housing Tenure • € 25,485 Owner-occupied • € 19,896 Rented at the market rate • € 14,943 Rented at below the market rate/rent free • Region • € 18,950 Border, Midland and Western • € 25,336 Southern and Eastern • Source: EU-SILC 2007

  21. % GDP spent on social protection EU-15 27.5% Ireland 18.2% France 31.1% Greece 24.2% Portugal 25.4% Sweden 30.7% UK 26.4% Source: Eurostat, 2007 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu

  22. Irish society can be divided into four income groups • The wealthy, benefitting from high incomes and considerable asset wealth • The comfortably-off: the contented classes, becoming less comfortable and more discontented following demise of Celtic Tiger • The working poor – employed, but often unable to make ends meet • The materially resourceless – the unemployed and underemployed, those dependent on State to meet basic needs ranging from income to housing

  23. New Divide: Security v Precariousness

  24. Security vs. Precariousness “Precarious employment is the spectre haunting Europe” - Anneliese Buntenbach, German Confederation of Trade Unions, 2008

  25. The Precariat: living without certainty Instead of upwardequality the precariat is exposed to downward mobility

  26. Multiple Precariousness • Precarious employment or underemployment -> current income uncertainty • Precarious social provision – defined contribution pensions replacing defined benefit - > future income uncertainty

  27. Sources 2007 EU Survey of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2009 IMF Country Report: Ireland 2007 Bank of Ireland, Wealth of the Nation 2006 National Employment Survey

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