Chief exec at PBE (Pro Bono Economics). Previously at Resolution Foundation. Inequalities-focused economist, cinephile, football coach (Fishersgate Flyers u17s), player (Sweet FA) and fan (Spurs & Stockport County).https://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3moim6wid4c2pNew @pbe.co.uk note on non-profit pay trends shows charity employees are earning £3,500 less today than if their pay rises had kept pace with the private sector's. Stems from inflation exposure and highlights the need for new 'shock absorbers' in the sector's income model https://pbe.co.uk/insights/pay-attention-inflation-and-the-squeeze-on-charity-wages/17 Jun 2026 15:16 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3moim6wid4c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3mnz2rmk3ns2oHere's a neat way (via @jonfranklin.bsky.social) of showing the mismatch between ambition and action when it comes to our offer to children and young people. Two word clouds: the first identifying what matters (health, confidence) and the second showing what gets measured (attendance, attainment)11 Jun 2026 10:54 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnz2rmk3ns2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3mhiozjf65c2tWith household finances set to come under pressure again as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, it’s helpful to have new ONS data out today on the state of play just ahead of the first strikes on Iran at the end of Feb. what does it tell us?20 Mar 2026 14:10 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhiozjf65c2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3mgglma2wrs23First one of 2026 [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Mar 2026 00:38 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgglma2wrs23https://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3mg36xknzes2zIt’s fairly-well understood that the civil society workforce differs from the wider economy. A much higher share of (paid) jobs are held by women (67%/48%) and disabled people (25%/18%), but relatively few by young people (5%/11% of 16-24s) and ethnic minorities (12%/16%). But how did we get here?02 Mar 2026 11:53 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg36xknzes2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3mfomuqfiys2zReally pleased to publish our 2025 impact report, showcasing a year in which we arguably did more than ever before to empower UK charities, unleash civil society's potential, and drive the use of economics for good https://pbe.co.uk/impact_reports/our-impact-in-2025/ Huge credit and thanks to all in the @pbe.co.uk family25 Feb 2026 11:57 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfomuqfiys2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3ma3s4heq3c2dLatest data on life expectancy in local areas of the UK shows overall improvements in outcomes over the last 20 years, but a widening of the absolute gap between the best and worst performing parts of the country. Progress has slowed (or even reversed in some areas) in the last decade too16 Dec 2025 09:04 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma3s4heq3c2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattwhittaker.bsky.social/post/3m7q3yclrhc2kThis is probably a well-known thing, but I hadn’t seen the data before… Need to be cautious of sample sizes and can’t infer causality, but interesting to see both how overall drug use rises as wellbeing falls and how much the pattern varies by drug. Cannabis clearly dominates the overall picture11 Dec 2025 17:29 +0000at://did:plc:b6tpp3g3behdho5etr4aerfv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7q3yclrhc2k