The intergenerational impact of The Great Recession on economic stress in Ireland in a comparative perspective

The impact of the Great Recession in a number of European countries and the resultant national austerity programs implemented have provoked widespread debate about how economic stress was distributed across the population. In Ireland the theme of rising inequality and the disproportionate burden imposed on the vulnerable has been prominent in policy and political discourses. However, at the same time as notions of polarization have gained prominence, the theme of ‘middle class squeeze’ has had considerable resonance for many. Significantly less attention has been paid to changes across the life course and the manner in which age and position in the income class hierarchy combine to influence outcomes. This study addressed these issues for a set of countries most severely affected by the economic crisis.