Distributional impact of monetary policy in the UK: from conventional to unconventional policy

We evaluate the income distributional effect of monetary policy in the UK for the period 1993–2019 using a mixed frequency approach and a high-frequency identification. Our results indicate that expansionary monetary policy increased income inequality during the unconventional policy subperiod 2009–2019. Looking at the income brackets, we find that this increase in inequality is primarily due to the positive impact of expansionary policy on the upper share of income distribution. Our counterfactual analysis reveals that unconventional monetary policy contributed to the increase in inequality and that the response to COVID-19 is likely to do the same.