Does UK government spending help the poorest – or the middle class?
Economists often recommend subsidies or other forms of government expenditure to help address the chronic problem of income inequality and other forms of market failure. But do these transfers...
Micro experiments - If it costs nothing, is it worth anything?
Most of us hate our banks. We have all experienced the unanswered letter, the seemingly interminable waits on hold before being put through to someone who gives the impression of auditioning for...
Happiness in the UK - a new version of the Higher or Lower Game
Anyone who knows me will also know that if a set of ranking stats comes out I love to turn it into the 'beloved' Higher and Lower game. It's a simple idea - in this example, students just have to...
Stellios opens his easyFoodstore with 25p offers!
Just when the incumbents felt that the discounters had started to become really annoying, this happened. The undoubted king of the discounters, Stelios Haji-Ioannou decided it was time to join the...
Behavioural economics: making poor financial decisions
Behavioural economics tries to offer realistic insights into decision making. Traditional economics assumes people make rational decisions and consistent choices based on effective computation.
What makes us feel good about work?
The importance of wages and other pecuniary advantages to work is at the heart of labour market economics, but economists are also aware of the importance of the many non-pecuniary advantages of...
Youtube and Contestability - The Fine Brothers nearly changed the game
Here's a story that got me thinking about Youtube and concepts of Perfect Competition and contestability. Examples of perfect competition are thin on the ground and we talk much more about...
As the WHO declares mosquito borne Zika fever a major health emergency, scientists claim that we now have the knowledge to make extinct the species of mosquito which carry disease.
Salmon Supply and Sushi
This is no fishy story. Salmon prices have reached a 30-year high as a result of supply issues from the major Norwegian salmon producers.
How worrying is Britain’s current account deficit?
Almost all of the talk of "the deficit" is in reference to the fiscal deficit, which is the balance of tax revenues and public spending. But what about the "other deficit"?
What’s behind the recent steep fall of £ Sterling?
According to The Economist, Sterling has had a very choppy history, marked by crises such as 1967, 1976 and 1992. And it is having another rocky period. Thanks to Guy Tennant at Norwich School...
Mock Exam Data Question on Ethiopia
I have put together an A2 macro data response question on the Ethiopian economy. The main focus is the balance of payments. exposure to external shocks, aid & debt relief, the economics of a...
World Bank Video on the Internet Economy
The 2016 World Development Report focuses on the digital dividends from the rapid expansion of the web and associated technologies. This 3 minute video outlines some of the benefits of the internet...
Digitisation and the Future of Work
In this video clip, economists from the OECD look at the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how the digitisation of work will affect labour markets. It is a fantastic clip that looks both backwards...
2016 - Are we heading for another Global Crash?
The Big Short is currently pulling in lots of economics students and their teachers to local cinemas and many may have emerged into the daylight wondering if it could all happen again!
Tesco scales back 24 hour opening in over 70 stores
Some interesting supermarket news here that reflects the changing nature of the sector - the shift towards online retailing has seen Tesco decide to reduce the number of 24-hour stores in a bid to...
Engaging Lesson Starter - Conveyor Belt Memory Game
Here's a fun and engaging lesson starter for your next Economics lesson called 'Conveyor Belt Memory Game' (hat tip to Paul Hoang from Sha Tin College in Hong Kong for the concept).
Run the...
Bank of Japan moves to set Negative Interest Rates
The Bank of Japan has made an unexpected move to cut their main interest rate into negative territory in a bid to bring the exchange rate down and help avoid price deflation in the beleaguered...
Customer satisfaction surveys used to combat possible market failure on the trains
I blogged yesterday about the teenage money-saver who took a flight home via Berlin as it was cheaper than using a train. So, keeping with my theme for the week, here's the next bit of evidence...
Nigeria: Primary Product dependency and currency depreciation
Hat tip to Tim Koch, a student economist from Norwich with a real skill in applying classroom activities to economics in the news. He has spotted a great article linking a number of topics that...