A heatwave in Western Africa, where many of the world’s cocoa beans are produced, is pushing up the prices of chocolate Easter eggs this year.
Poverty Deepening in Modern Britain
Next month sees the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, although it's now called the National Living Wage, and this article looks at what it's achieved.
Economics Weekly Quiz | 22 March 2024
Here's our weekly economics news quiz covering stories from the UK and global economic events of the passed 7 days.
In the News Teaching Activity – are pet owners being ripped off at the vets? (Mar 2024)
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching an investigation to the pet medicine pricing practices, particularly those owned by big corporations because it looks as if pet owners are...
End of an Era - Japan Moves away from Negative Interest Rates
A historic moment: for the first time since 2007, Japan has raised monetary policy interest rates and they're no longer negative. Rates have gone from -0.1% to between 0.0 and 0.1% in response to a...
In the News Teaching Activity – how can the UK’s lacklustre productivity growth be improved? (Mar 2024)
The Economics Observatory considers how to increase UK productivity growth so that wages and living standards can grow more quickly. The article argues that a ‘long-term strategy’ is needed to...
CMA to investigate UK house-builder merger
The Competition and Markets Authority are looking into the proposed £2.5bn Barratt takeover of Redrow, concerned about the impact that it's going to have on an already fairly concentrated sector.
Aiming for A-A* Economics 2024 - Live Daily Revision
Starting next Monday (25th March), we will be running daily revision livestreams for A-Level and IB Economics students. Our main focus is for students pushing towards the top grades.
This BBC clip looks at the rise in economic inactivity in the UK and its implications for the macroeconomy as a whole. It looks at exactly who these people are - students, carers, the retired and...
Honda and Nissan have launched a joint venture to share electric car technology, such as components and software, and try to halt the seemingly unstoppable rise of Chinese competitors, backed by...
Is carbon offsetting a sham?
Is the notion of carbon offsetting a sham? This Guardian investigation seems to suggest so. One such project, the Kariba Project in Zimbabwe, appears to have generated 100m euros, largely for the...
Economies of Scale at Papa Johns
A lovely short video that deals with production methods, economies of scale and innovation, and so is equally applicable to here. It shows how mechanisation allows Papa Johns to produce its dough...
Economics Weekly Quiz | 15 March 2024
Here's our weekly economics news quiz covering stories from the UK and global economic events of the passed 7 days.
Deflation hits the Chinese Economy
The news that Chinese consumer prices have fallen by 0.8%, the fastest rate in 15 years is worrying news, and implies that the economy has entered a deflationary period, with large falls in food...
West Yorkshire nationalises bus services
The renationalisation of bus services continues, with buses in West Yorkshire being brought under public control by the region's mayor. It seems as though, the experiment with privatisation is...
Morrisons makes £1 billion loss!
Morrisons plunged to a £1billion loss last year after a surge in debt interest payments linked to its private equity takeover. The business has been hit by a revenue squeeze and spiralling interest...
Edexcel Economics Paper 3 (2024) | 25-Marker Tips
In this revision video Geoff walks through a suggested answer for a 25-mark question on EdExcel Paper 3. The topic chosen is the UK housing supply shortage which is an ideal synoptic issue since it...
2024 Human Development Report Published
This video looks at the latest rankings published in the 2024 Human Development Report. You can also download the accompanying powerpoint.
In the News Teaching Activity – Nationwide is planning to takeover Virgin Money (Mar 2024)
The Nationwide building society is looking set to take over Virgin Money, ensuring that the Nationwide remains the second largest mortgage lender in the UK. Nationwide could become an even stronger...
Manufacturing Coming Home - The Economics of Re-Shoring
This is a really good article from the BBC about reshoring and the factors that are currently driving it: higher wages in previously low-wage economies, a desire to get things quicker, the risks...