Oxfam report on wealth inequality - flaws in the data?
You may have seen the news this week that Oxfam have released a report suggesting that 1% of the world's population now owns 50% of its wealth (I like this resource from Oxfam, aimed at GCSE...
Profound challenges for the UK steel industry
This Channel 4 news report focuses on the planned job losses at the Port Talbot plant in South Wales, where 750 posts will be cut.
Inflation - Explained
This is a short introductory primer on inflation from the Guardian.
The National Health Service (NHS) Explained
I am teaching fiscal policy at the start of this term and when I get onto government spending and debates about the size, scope an financing of state-provided goods and services, this Guardian...
Market Failure: 8 resources on Market Failure
Here are some recent resources on market failure - especially externalities and demerit goods
Cheap imports force UK pig farmers out of business
The Chinese economic slowdown, Russia’s ban on European food imports and cheaper pork products from other EU producers are combining to create a perfect storm for many of the UK's pig farmers.
Renewable Energy and Global Economic Growth
Achieving a 36 per cent share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030 would increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 1.1 per cent, roughly USD 1.3 trillion, according to...
Do Transnational Corporations pay Higher Wages?
Here is some new research relevant to the debate over the benefits and costs of foreign direct investment in both lower, middle and higher income countries.
Global PC Sales Continue to Decline
More evidence here of the structural decline in sales of PCs in the global computer industry.
The economic impact of airport hubs - lesson resource
This week's Beyond the Bike resource provides a perfect data response lesson for those teaching transport economics or globalisation at the moment, as we consider the economic impact of airport...
Economics News Quiz - Using our Blockbusters template
Here's a weekly news quiz to try with your students next Monday or Tuesday. It contains 20 questions relating to news stories from the world of economics over the last 10 days and comes in the...
China’s textile exports decline in 2015
Once synonymous with the Chinese export machine, China's textile and garment export industry experienced a severe decline in sales in 2015 according to data from their Ministry of Industry and...
Currencies: How sustainable is the riyal/dollar peg?
For 30 years, the Saudi riyal has been pegged in a fixed exchange rate system with the US dollar. But with oil prices dropping like a stone and edging below $30 a barrel, the export-dependent Saudi...
Price competition key to success in Supermarket market?
The final quarter and Christmas sales reports for many of the supermarkets are now beginning to emerge. The results are generally mixed, with Morrisons showing a slight increase in profits, Tesco...
Cross Price Elasticity of Demand - Music Streaming Hits Album Sales
The growing popularity of relatively low-priced music streaming from services such as Apple Music and Spotify is coming at the expense of other market segments. This is a good example of cross...
Chinese slowdown hits African exports
This brief BBC piece highlights the extent to which Africa is dependent upon China but not vice versa: the Chinese slowdown has seen African exports to China fall by nearly 40%, equally Chinese...
Surge in minicabs increases journey times
Another interesting insight here from the Guardian about the ongoing debate about the effect of Uber in the market for cabs: this time private hire firm, Addison Lee, claim that the rising number...
Martin Wolf on upheaval in the Chinese economy
The FT's Martin Wolf offers his opinion on the current state of affairs in China and counsels against the fixation with the immediate, suggesting that the recent devaluation of the currency and the...
Ofwat and Regulatory Failure
The Commons' Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the UK water regulator Ofwat for poor oversight of the water companies it is meant to be regulating, resulting in households paying too...
Science does not always make sense
The story of the week for many people was the new alcohol guidelines issued by the UK’s chief medical officers. In 1995, the recommended weekly upper limit for men was set at 21 units, or around...