Philip Murphy

Emeritus Professor Swansea University

p.d.murphy@swansea.ac.uk

Philip Murphy is a Professor of Economics in the Labour Economics Section in the School of Management at Swansea University. Before joining Swansea University in 1991, Professor Murphy held academic positions at the universities of Manchester, East Anglia, Aberdeen and IUPUI (USA).

He is an applied labour economist whose research interests span a number of areas including wage inequality the economics of discrimination, training, economic inactivity, spatial modelling, the dynamics of the national minimum wage, and the determinants of subjective wellbeing.

Philip Murphy Bio

Wellbeing, Deprivation & Social Cohesion

Overview This project utilised a range of econometric techniques to investigate the nature of the relationship between the domains of individual subjective wellbeing, individual and household characteristics, work/life circumstances, and a range of indicators related to the measurement of social cohesion and civil society. The main UK data sets used by the WP included: Understanding…

Research Team: David Blackaby (Swansea University), James Healy (Swansea University), Melanie Jones (Cardiff University), Philip Murphy (Swansea University), Prashant Gupta (Brunel University London), Samuel Brown (Swansea University)

Social Enterprise in Wales, the UK and Europe

This project utilised a range of econometric approaches to analyse entrepreneurial activity, the growth in Social enterprise and the changing role of the third sector. Research focused on the early stages of entrepreneurial activity and also on the survival and performance of small businesses in Wales (and beyond) as a means to contribute to economic growth…

Research Team: Catherine Robinson (University of Kent), Philip Murphy (Swansea University), Prashant Gupta (Brunel University London)

Wales Housing Research Network

The Welsh Housing Research Network brings together researchers and research organisations in Wales in the field of housing. Researchers are exploring housing issues via a multitude of disciplines ranging from the social sciences and economics to architecture and health. Moreover, network members are drawn from academia, government, the voluntary sector and the private sector. This…

Research Team: Paul Milbourne (Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Space (CRESS)), Peter Mackie (Cardiff University), Philip Murphy (Swansea University), Scott Orford (Cardiff University)

Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector

In 2010 the UK coalition Government committed itself to an active policy of fiscal consolidation designed to ‘eliminate’ the structural deficit by the end of the current parliament (HM Budget, March 2011). As part of their consolidation plans the Government announced its intention to promote a rebalancing of the UK economy, away from public sector…

Research Team: Alan Felstead (Cardiff University), David Blackaby (Swansea University), Gerald Makepeace (Cardiff University), Melanie Jones (Cardiff University), Philip Murphy (Swansea University), Victoria Wass (Cardiff University)

Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Inequality

The UK gender Pay gap 1998-2013: What is the role of the public sector? The Quarterly Labour Force Survey was used to compare gender wage gap in the public and private sectors between 1998 and 2013 and to identify the contribution of the sectoral employment allocation to the overall gender pay gap. The study covered…

Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Public Sector Pay

Pay determination and outcomes in the public sector Data from the Labour Force Survey was used to investigate public sector wage differential in the UK 1994 to 2012. In the first of a set of analyses, three separate sub-periods are considered in detail, each characterise broadly different government policy stances towards the public sector and different…

Unlocking the potential of the Welsh Local Labour Force Survey: an investigation into labour market transitions in Wales

The project aimed to highlight the potential value of an important but currently underutilised dataset, the Welsh Local Labour Force Survey (WLLFS). The main aim was to provide new evidence relating to labour market transitions in Wales. In terms of the analysis we propose two separate pieces of research that both use the WLLFS to examine ‘at…

Research Team: David Blackaby (Swansea University), Melanie Jones (Cardiff University), Philip Murphy (Swansea University), Rhys Davies (Cardiff University), Stephen Drinkwater (University of Roehampton London)

Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Work Quality

Pay and Job Quality: Is the Grass Greener in the Public Sector? The unadjusted public-private sector pay differential has attracted considerable political interest since the coalition government came to power in the UK in 2010. It has been used to justify changes to pay setting arrangements and the imposition of pay restraint on the public sector. However, previous analyses have…

The Gender Pay Gap in Wales

Aims The aims of the project were to examine the pay statistics for Wales, for 2008 and other relevant years to determine possible reasons for the widening of the pay gap between women and men. Methodology The research methodology was desk based analysis of published data sets, primarily, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)…

Research Team: David Blackaby (Swansea University), Nigel O'Leary (Swansea University), Philip Murphy (Swansea University), Sami Souabni (Swansea University)

A Living Wage in Wales

This research aimed to improve understanding of the implications of introducing a living wage policy in Wales. In March 2009, The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) commissioned an exploratory study into the implications of introducing a Living Wage in Wales. This report presents the interim findings from the first phase of the analysis. The objective of…

Research Team: David Blackaby (Swansea University), Philip Murphy (Swansea University)

Journal Articles

Understanding What Has Been Happening to the Public-Sector Pay Premium in Great Britain: A Distributional Approach Based on the Labour Force Survey

This article investigates what has been happening to the public‐sector wage differential in Great Britain over the period 1994–2017. The evidence indicates that apart from men in the lower part of the pay distribution, the public‐sector pay premium has declined for all public‐sector workers. This decline has coincided with a decline in the overall pay…

Civil Society, Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Public Sector Pay | May 2019

Journal Articles

Regional pay? The public/private sector pay differential

Regional pay? The public/private sector pay differential. Regional Studies. This paper extends the debate on making public sector wages more responsive to those in the private sector. The way in which the public/private sector wage differential is calculated dramatically alters conclusions, and far from there being substantial regional disparity in wages offered to public sector workers,…

Civil Society, Localities | June 2017

Books and Book Chapters

Is the Public Sector Pay Advantage Explained by Differences in Work Quality?

The unadjusted public–private sector pay differential has attracted considerable political interest over many years. It has been used to justify changes to pay-setting arrangements and the imposition of pay restraint on the public sector. However, previous analyses have shown that a large part of the premium can be explained by differences in individual and employment…

Civil Society, Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector, Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Work Quality, Skills and Employment Survey, Skills and Employment Survey 2012 | August 2015

Other

Making the Case for the Social Sciences: Wales

WISERD, in partnership with the Research Institute for Applied Social Science (RIASS) and the Academy of Social Science, have today launched a new booklet showcasing the vast array of social science research taking place in Wales; titled ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences 10 – Wales’. It includes a new study by Welsh researchers which…

Civil Society, Education, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities, Research Networks, Work and Labour Markets | July 2015

Reports and Briefings

Better quality work and better pay in the public sector?

The unadjusted public-private sector pay differential has attracted considerable political interest since the coalition government came to power in the UK in 2010. It has been used to justify changes to pay setting arrangements and the imposition of pay restraint on the public sector.However, previous analyses have shown that a large part of the premium…

Inequalities | Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector | January 2014

Presentation

The Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Inequality and Work Quality

Major Objectives To examine the on going consequences of the deficit reduction programme on measures of labour market inequality To explore the nature of regional variation in public-private sector pay To consider the intrinsic quality of work in the public sector and private sectors of the economy The study is based on the secondary analysis…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector, Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Public Sector Pay | January 2013

Reports and Briefings

Public-private sector pay differential in UK: A recent update

This document updates and extend our previous analysis on the public-private sector wage differential using six new quarters of Labour Force Survey (LFS) data. The data are split into two sub-samples – 2009Q1-2010Q4 and 2011Q-2012Q3. The results presented are based on a linear regression of log-hourly earnings against independent variables. The measure of pay we…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector, Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Public Sector Pay | January 2013

Reports and Briefings

An Analysis of Subjective Wellbeing in Wales: Evidence from the Annual Population Survey

This report examines Annual Population Survey (APS) data containing new questions on Subjective Wellbeing (SWB). It focuses on comparisons between variations in SWB across countries of the UK and areas within Wales, as well as how SWB varies by demographic sub-groups within Wales. In particular, it identifies groups of individuals and areas within Wales where…

Data & Methods, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care | Welsh Government Evidence Symposia | October 2012

Reports and Briefings

An investigation of the IFS public-private sector pay differential: A robustness check

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Autumn Statement of 2011 that the public sectorpay freeze would come to an end in 2012/13, with public sector pay awards of 1 per cent planned overthe next 2 years thereafter. Emphasis was also placed on making public sector pay more responsive tolocal labour market conditions. Evidence…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector, Labour Market Implications of Changes in the Public Sector: Public Sector Pay | September 2012

Journal Articles

The gender pay gap in Wales in 2011

In this paper we use the most recently available data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2011, to examine the size of the gender pay gap in Wales. The paper looks at how the gender pay gap varies across industries and occupations in Wales and analyses how the gender pay gap has…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | The Gender Pay Gap in Wales | August 2012

Reports and Briefings

WISERD & Welsh Government Evidence Symposium: Wellbeing in Wales

Attendees were welcomed and introduced themselves. It was explained that this event wasthe first of a series co-funded by the ESRC, to be held in collaboration with the WalesInstitute for Social and Economic Research, Data & Method (WISERD). The aim of theseevents will be to facilitate a regular and genuine dialogue between policy makers andpractitioners.

Data & Methods, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care | Welsh Government Evidence Symposia | June 2012

Journal Articles

The religious dimension to ethnic disadvantage in Great Britain

Homo Economicus, Volume: 29, Issue: 1, Pages: 25 – 55

Inequalities | January 2012

Journal Articles

Childhood Obesity in Wales

The human capital, or the health, education and skills of the next generation, will be fundamental in determining their labour market success and the future prosperity of the Welsh economy. While it is today’s children who will form this future generation economic analysis typically ignores this group until they reach working age. However, there is…

Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Localities, Work and Labour Markets | April 2011

Reports and Briefings

The Welsh Labour Market Following the Great Recession

The paper reviews public discourses and research on the safeguarding of other people’s children by adults at the neighbourhood level. There is much empirical evidence pointing to the existence of thriving informal communities of support and informal childcare for parents across the social classes. There appears to be less empirical evidence related to intervening with…

Inequalities, Localities | Knowing Localities: Welsh and the Labour Market | April 2011

Reports and Briefings

An Economic Analysis of the Implications of introducing a Living Wage in Wales

WAG’s policies on area regeneration, child poverty, public service provision, equality and workforce development all help Wales move closer towards the vision set out in the One Wales coalition agreement. If introduced, a Living Wage policy has the potential to make a further contribution towards many of these policy areas and the overall One Wales…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | A Living Wage in Wales | September 2010

Reports and Briefings

Modeling and Explaining Regional Differences in Economic Prosperity within Wales

Enormous changes have taken place in the labour market during the last four decades. The number of women in the labour market has increased dramatically, with the greatest increase in labour market participation found amongst married women. The composition of the labour force changed over this period as the jobs in male-intensive industries declined and…

Inequalities | January 2010

Jones, Blackaby, Murphy Differences child health cover

Reports and Briefings

An Investigation into Regional Differences in Child health and Cognitive Function

This report will utilise the information available in sweeps 1-3 (from birth to when the child is age 5) of the MCS, to explore the following research questions: Do children born in the Millennium in Wales have different health outcomes at birth to those born elsewhere in the UK? How do cross country differences in…

Health, Wellbeing & Social Care | January 2010

Journal Articles

The Employment and Earnings of Britain’s Senior Citizen

Britain’s senior citizens, in common with the rest of Europe, are the fastest growing age group among the population and the numbers working have grown substantially. In 2007 the numbers working at or beyond the state pension age (65 and over for men, 60 and over for women) was 1.26 million, a number that hasdoubled…

Inequalities, Work and Labour Markets | September 2009

Journal Articles

The Economic Downturn and the Welsh Economy

The Welsh Assembly Government has very few significant levers to pull in an attempt to deal with the effects of the current recession. Many have applauded the actions taken so far but there is still more that could be done, some of which is controversial.

Inequalities | June 2009

News

WISERD Report Published by Welsh Government

11th December 2012 | Catherine Robinson, David Blackaby, Mamata Parhi, Melanie Jones, Philip Murphy, Stephen Drinkwater

A report written by academic staff at WISERD Swansea, entitled ‘An analysis of subjective wellbeing in Wales: Evidence from the Annual Population Survey’, was published by the Welsh Government on 31st October 2012. This report examines Annual Population Survey (APS) data containing new questions on Subjective Wellbeing (SWB). It focuses on comparisons between variations in SWB across…

Data & Methods, Health, Wellbeing & Social Care, Inequalities

Training

Improving our understanding of social enterprises in the UK – evidence from the Small Business Survey

18th February 2016 | Swansea

Presenters: Professor Catherine Robinson (University of Kent) and Professor Phil Murphy (Swansea University) Chair: Professor David Blackaby Location: Swansea University Bay Campus, Great Hall, Room GH018 The rise in the number of social enterprises has been matched by the increased attention they have received as a potentially ‘new’ way of doing business. Notwithstanding the problems associated with…

Seminar

Regional market facing public sector pay and the Welsh economy

28th November 2012 | Cardiff

An Unequal Wales Seminar delivered by Professor David Blackaby and Professor Phil Murphy WISERD was delighted to be supporting the Wales Governance Centre (WGC) in hosting a series of seminars in the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay. Other events in the series: 7th February 2013 – ‘Homelessness, legislation and social justice in Wales’ 13th March 2013 – ‘Inequalities in Access…

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