Monopsony - Pay Penalty for Zero Hours Contract Workers
A new report from the Resolution Foundation finds a significant pay gap between workers on regular employment contracts and those on zero-hours (ZH) employment deals.
The Journey of an iPhone from Factory to Retail Store
You could make a case for using this one article to revise almost the entire A level economics course! The New York Times follows the journey of an iPhone from factory floor to retail store.
Norwegian Airlines targets a £60 flight to New York
Travellers hurt by the post-Brexit depreciation of sterling but wanting to fly cheaply to the USA will be interested to hear of plans by Norwegian Airlines to offer ultra-low one-way fares to New...
Will a fall in labour migration hurt the UK economy?
Jonathan Portes considers some of the possible effects of a significant reduction in net inward migration from the EU after the UK's Brexit. He argues that " the impacts should not be overstated...
Sustaining rapid growth in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has continued to experience rapid growth despite he challenges of drought, social unrest and a chronic trade deficit and volatile currency. The latest report from the World Bank on the...
Economics' necessary revolution
A hat tip to Bruce Fellowes for spotting this article on the research of J.Doyne Farmer, Director of the Complexity Economics Programme at the Oxford Martin School. Farmer is an expert in complex...
Five industries under threat from creative destruction
A superb piece here from the Financial Times focuses on five industries where revenues, profits and jobs are under threat from creative destruction.
Economics of NHS Car Parking Charges
The total amount raised in charges and fines from those using NHS car parks continues to surge. There is lots of economics in this issue including arguments relating to equity, monopoly power and...
Cloud Fishing in Morocco
Harvesting rainwater from fog - an idea totally new to me and a terrific example of small scale innovation that helps to resolve water stress and releases people from hours of laborious walking to...
The Best Year in Our History?
"Extreme poverty, child mortality, illiteracy, and global inequality are at historic lows; vaccinations, basic education, including girls, and democracy are at all-time highs."
Interview with Nobel Laureate Angus Deaton
A seasonal hat tip to Rhys Williams from the Learning Economics Online blog for spotting this wonderful interview with Professor Angus Deaton, recently retired from Princeton University. At the end...
Bonding Buffet - A Festive Nudge!
Here is a neat social bonding nudge from KLM! Airport Schiphol is a crowded place at Christmas, loads of people spend their transfer time alone – reading a book, or checking their phones. But watch...
2016 in Review
I suspect quite a few of us will be happy to put 2016 to bed. I'm not a fan of lengthy annual assessments of the world economy and geo-Politics. But this short FT video is a timely reminder of some...
Natural Capital - The Battle for Biodiversity
Annually, the world spends nearly $40 billion on pesticides but only $50 billion a year on protecting bio-diversity. To sustain We are destroying the natural resources, wildlife and habitats that...
Martin Wolf on Global Economy in 2017
In this ten minute interview, Martin Wolf and Lionel Barber from the FT discuss prospects for the world economy.
Gig Economy - Poor Working Conditions and Wages
How is the labour market being affected by the rise to prominence of the Gig Economy?
Trump's Tariff Threat - Bad News for US Sneaker Lovers
We will wait to see if the reality comes anywhere close to matching the rhetoric but the footwear industry is an example of a sector where less than 2% of shoes worn in the United States are made...
India overtakes the UK and becomes 5th largest economy
Accelerated by the post-Brexit depreciation of sterling against the US dollar but part of a much bigger shift in the centre of gravity in the world economy, the value of Indian GDP has overtaken...
Trends in UK economics education in schools and universities
The latest detailed data of student numbers in economics at both A-level and undergraduate level has just been published by the Economics Network.
Special Economic Zones and Growth in Bangladesh
Few countries in recent times have given more attention to setting up special economic zones than Bangladesh.