Mohammed Yunus - A World of Three Zeroes
I used this superb Authors at Google discussion (recorded in Autumn 2017) when teaching micro-finance and social entrepreneurship. Mohammad Yunus explores how the Grameen Bank has grown into new...
Economics News Quiz - 23 February 2018
Here's this week's Economics news quiz. Good luck!
Economics for real, economics for good It’s everyday deal, like life in the hood
Economics for real, economics for good It’s everyday deal, like life in the hood. A fantastic rap put together by students from Queen Ethelburga’s, Thorpe Underwood near York! Thanks to Jonathan...
£10K for everyone aged under 55 - Economics of a Universal Basic Income
One of the big ideas of the time is the notion of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). In this case, the Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) is proposing that the government should offer each under 55 year...
From Made in China to a Hub for Robotics - Changing Cities
Proof of the dynamic nature of the Chinese economic growth miracle. Dongguan used to be a labour-intensive manufacturing base synonymous with the label Made in China. Now it is fast becoming the...
Economic's Weekly News Quiz - 16 February 2018
Here's this week's economics news quiz. Good luck!
Why are footballers paid so much?
Hats off to the Bank of England for producing this excellent article on pay for professional footballers. A super resource to use when teaching pay differentials in the labour market.
Contestable Markets: Lidl and Aldi continue their rapid growth
Examiners love good examples of contestable markets where emerging rivals disrupt the market power of established firms. Aldi and Lidl are continuing to grow rapidly. Lidl has recently opened its...
Environmental cost of Kenya's cut flower export industry
Kenya has developed a comparative advantage in growing and processing cut flowers. Kenya is the largest supplier of cut flowers to the European Union & flower farming accounts for about 40% of...
Contestable Markets: Norwegian Airlines takes on the Transatlantic Carriers
This is a quite superb article for students wanting a great example of an increasingly contestable market - namely transatlantic travel. Can the fast-growing Norwegian Airlines achieve commercial...
St Valentine's price discrimination
This is a brilliant story, though it may do Sainsbury's reputation no favours. Two cards, looking pretty much identical, one 'For my husband' and one 'For my wife'. All very cute - but why would...
Economic's Weekly News Quiz - 9 February 2018
Here's this week's economics news quiz. Good luck!
The Invisible Hand of Donald Trump
A Half Term Hat Tip to Pete Shelley for spotting this enrichment piece from BBC Radio on the economic policies of Donald Trump.
Pork Barrel Politics and the Principal Agent Problem
“Pork barrel” has been a theme in American politics for almost as long as the United States has existed. Many members of Congress work hard to secure public works projects, agricultural subsidies...
Brexit: Customs Union or Customs Arrangement?
This FT clip looks at the post-Brexit options facing the UK, arguing that advisers are looking at whether it might be possible to enter a customs union with the EU.
Congestion in UK cities - 'Ranking Activity'
Traffic data firm Inrix has released a report attempting to detail the impact of road congestion in the UK. Their 2017 Congestion scorecard is available here. According to their statistics, the...
Gender pay gap: Part time work hinders wage progression
A new study from the IFSof the causes of the persistent gender pay gap in the UK focuses on the impact of working part-time has on career and wage progression for females.
Plan now because robots will take our jobs
More excellence in the Guardian with Larry Elliott seeing the opening of Amazon Go in Seattle as a foretaste of things to come. He argues that automation is unstoppable and that we need to think...
Balkan nations lined up for EU membership
Whilst the seems mired in a Brexit-inspired political morass, a number of Balkan countries are taking important steps towards accession to the European Union. EU enlargement is back on the agenda...
Lewis Turning Point: Rising Wages and Robot Demand in China
This video from the Wall Street Journal explores the rising demand for industrial robots, particularly in China which is in turn partly the response to fast-rising wages in China as the economy...