Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – COVID-19 Research

Applications are invited for an 18-month postdoctoral research fellowship associated with a new research project "Real-time evaluation of the effects of Covid-19 and policy responses on consumer and small business finances" led by Professor John Gathergood (Nottingham) and Professor Neil Stewart (Warwick) and funded by the UKRI/ESRC COVID-19 Rapid Response call.

The Covid-19 pandemic together with the unprecedented and radical economic policy response on the part of government has resulted in severe disruption to consumer finances and small business finances. There is an urgent and timely need to evaluate the extent of disruption and the effectiveness of recent policy innovations. This project will use a new and unique set of real-time, high frequency data available to evaluate these far faster can be achieved with traditional ONS data sources.

The project involves the creation of a new real-time economic characterisation of consumer and firm behaviour from mass transaction data. Specifically, the work will evaluate impact on consumer finances (reduced incomes, non-payment of debts, patterns of saving and expenditure) and small business finances (turnover and business continuity). The research will be co-produced with four organisations, each of whom are providing access to large administrative datasets.

Key issues to be addressed include:

• understanding the impact on consumer indebtedness and evaluate the Consumer Credit (Temporary Covid-19 Support Measures) Order 2020 (CCO220) and the three-month mortgage forbearance scheme
• understand the effects on incomes and short-term and long-term saving behaviour
• modelling the impact of 'lockdown' measures on consumer spending and business survival across sectors
• evaluating the impact of the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Findings will be presented to policymaker sponsors the researchers will continue to work with policymakers in real-time policy design.

For further information, please contact Professor Neil Stewart, neil.stewart@wbs.ac.uk or Professor John Gathergood john.gathergood@nottingham.ac.uk

This post is funded for 18 months in the first instance, starting on or before 17 June 2020.

Interview date: 12 June 2020

Applications should be submitted without delay. 

Apply now.