The benefits of an entry level job - much more than the wage?
The merits of increasing the minimum wage is one of my favourite topics to discuss with a class as it usually as a direct relevance to their pay packets at their part-time jobs as well as having a...
Topical News Quiz – take the lollipop challenge
Here’s a quick topical news quiz challenge on various stories from the world of Economics over the last week. It comes in the format of an onscreen quiz called the ‘Lollipop Challenge’. The quiz...
Insights into Economics Depts and A Level Entries
We've been spending some time analysing the big data submitted by schools and colleges to the DfE. We wanted to learn more about which schools and colleges are entering students for A Level...
Zambian copper mining industry suffers a slump
One copper mine in Zambia accounts for 14% of the total electricity demand in the country. A remarkable statistic for a country so heavily dependent on copper mining for exports, jobs and GDP. This...
Financial Markets: School Webinar by the Bank of England and tutor2u
We are delighted to be partnering with the Bank of England to deliver a series of free webinars for A Level Economics students and teachers.
Bacon sandwich with sugar, anyone?
Government ministers have bowed to pressure. They have published the report by Public Health England (PHE) which calls for a tax of up to 20 per cent on sugary drinks and foods. If the tax reduced...
New Global Poverty Line
In October 2015, the World Bank updated the global poverty line used to track progress across countries in reducing extreme poverty.
China – The UK’s New BFF
So, Chinese President Xi Jinping has now left the UK after his very visible state visit – but it has not been without some controversy. The UK Government has faced some criticism about how heavily...
Can environmental assets be stranded?
The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, courted the wrath of the fossil fuel industry in a speech at the end of last month. He argued that investors in the sector face ‘potentially huge...
The thinking behind feminist economics
Whilst there are certainly now more female economists than in the past, economics remains a discipline that seems dominated by men.
Beyond the Bike: photo of the week
A major factor in boosting economic development is spending on infrastructure - everything from transport, to utilities, to communications, to finance. This week's picture was taken on board the MV...
Beyond the Bike Lesson Resource: Stages of Economic Integration
This week's second Beyond the Bike resource encourages students to deepen their knowledge of the ins and outs of the different levels/stages of economic integration between countries, and then...
Beyond the Bike Lesson Resource: roads and development
One of the Beyond the Bike resources this week encourages students to practise their quantitative skills and analyse the possible relationship between road quality and the level of development in...
Jamie Oliver calls for Sugar Tax on Soft Drinks
This is an interesting clip: Evan Davis interviewing Jamie Oliver about the possible introduction of a Sugar Tax. Jamie - who looks less boyish these days - addressed the Commons Health Select...
Challenges facing the UK Steel Industry
This is a curation of resources on the economic difficulties facing the UK steel industry. Plant closures and job losses have dominated the headlines in recent weeks. Is there a sufficiently strong...
The Trouble with Financial Bubbles
Howard Davies, the widely known, current Chairman of RBS, looks here in this piece for the Guardian at how the job of central banks might have changed in the aftermath of the financial crisis....
Solar industry attacks UK energy policy
The solar industry is in a bit of turmoil at the moment, with three UK firms announcing that they were planning to close in the last week alone. However, whilst I have some sympathy for them given...
Corporate Mismanagement at VW
This Lucy Marcus piece for Project Syndicate is blunt in its assessment of corporate mismanagement at VW: "A fish rots from the head". Quite so.
Surging demand for sweet potatoes
They say that one of the major benefits of trade is increased choice. And it's true but we might not have to look as far afield for sweet potatoes in future.
Has Britain coped better than in previous recessions?
This Larry Elliott piece in The Guardian gives a remarkably measured view of the recession that we've just emerged from, and effectively concludes that if you laid all the economists in the world...