The Economics of GAFA Businesses
What is GAFA? Find out from this summary of key notes from a seminar held at the Bank of England, in which Hal Varian, Chief Economist at Google considers some of the effects of cutting edge...
Restaurants face closure as costs rise and demand dips
Restaurants open, restaurants close - that is a fact of life in the food retail industry. But the commercial future for thousands of restaurants in the UK is under threat according to a new report...
Agency staffed underpaid and exploited says report
If you are teaching or studying monopsony power in the labour market you might want to read this report in the Guardian. The Resolution Foundation is starting an eighteen month research project...
How BAE is tackling the productivity gap
Britain's relative low level of labour productivity is widely recognised as one of the UK's key structural economic weaknesses. The FT has paid a visit to BAE Systems' new training academy near...
China adds a 10% tax on "super cars"
The Chinese have imposed a tax on 'super cars' - a seemingly random tax on luxury goods. It's difficult to see why the tax has been imposed other than as a political move designed to be seen to be...
Train fares to rise by 2.3% in 2017
Train fares are set to increase by more than the rate of inflation next year, which must be little comfort for public sector workers faced with a pay freeze. This has brought muted protests from...
Risks from UK Regional Growth Inequality
The Bank of England's Chief Economist, Andrew Haldane, has expressed concerns about the growth of regional inequality in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. London and the South-East are...
Eggzactly what you need for micro
There is a cracking article in this week's Economist about the changing demand and supply in the market for the 100 billion eggs produced by British hens over the last decade. Elements of price...
Kinked demand curve: Energy price freeze
Here is a classic micro / market headline for a cold November morning! "British Gas to freeze standard energy tariff."
Dynamic Efficiency: Google Home v Amazon Echo
The $130 Google Home and the $180 Amazon Echo are speakers with built-in AI voice assistants. Both of them sat down for an interview with the Wall Street Journal!
OPEC supply squeeze causes prices to surge
The oil producer cartel OPEC has agreed their first output cut in eight years causing the global price of crude oil to surge by around 9%.
Update on India's Cash Crisis
Factories are already seeing some of the consequences of the withdrawal of high denomination bank notes by the Indian government and the decline in output and employment is have negative multiplier...
Innovation: Mariana Mazzucato
A short two minute video featuring Professor Mariana Mazzucato on the importance of both horizontal, as well as vertical, government policies and investment for innovation led growth.
China clamps down on capital flight
The Chinese are getting twitchy about the amount of money flowing out of the economy, worrying about the possibility of capital flight and have thus introduced restrictions on outward foreign...
The Pirate Ship Dilemma
Here is a short video looking at the Pirate Ship dilemma that reputedly flummoxed Google CEP Eric Schmidt!
How banks make money: Lending spreads
The latest Bank of England Financial Stability report provides a super chart showing average interest rates on loans and savings deposits.
Banking Stress Tests: RBS remains the weakest link
As part of the revamped system of financial regulation introduced since the 2008 global financial crisis, the Bank of England subjects Britain’s leading commercial banks to regular stress tests.
Is it time to abolish the OBR?
Economic forecasts have become a political hot potato. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) predictions, presented as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, have put the government...
The Collapse of GB Energy
The collapse of GB Energy could lead to similar closures of other small energy suppliers.
Climate Smart Farming and Productivity in Kenyan Farms
This World Bank video emphasises the importance of harnessing simple technologies and investing in training to improve human capital as a way of making small-scale farmers in Kenya more resilient...