The UK's Infrastructure Woes
One of my former students insisted on including infrastructure in all of his macro (and many micro) exam essays. The reasoning was intuitive and persuasive, namely that better infrastructure can...
Rishi Sunak set to rip up net zero policies ahead of election
A major environmental policy u-turn appears imminent judging from the steady flow of leaks hitting social media at present. Prime Minister Sunak may opt to rein back on policies such as the ban on...
Is there a way out of the doom-loop of failed economics?
In the light of the uninspiring fare seeming being passed off as policy these days, Mariana Mazzucato's piece in the Guardian is a call-to-arms.
In the News Teaching Activity: Division of Labour in Modern Times (Sept 2023)
The Economics Observatory takes a look at how Adam Smith’s division of labour applies in the modern world. Have a go at this free teaching activity, which includes a downloadable worksheet and...
In the News Teaching Activities and our Weekly Economics News Quiz
Each week we are producing ready-to-use In the News Teaching Activities and our popular Economics News quiz which can be played in various formats including Kahoot.
Economics Weekly Quiz | 15 September 2023
Here's this week's economics news quiz.
Are loyalty cards being used to conceal price increases?
Consumer group Which? are of the view that two of the UK's biggest supermarkets - Tesco and Sainsbury's - are being less than straightforward with their pricing policies, and are using loyalty card...
What will it take to control AI?
What will life be like with another five years of deeper and wider capabilities in artificial intelligence? Two prominent figures - Yuval Noah Harari and Mustafa Suleyman - are brought together to...
Changing Global Labour Market - The Rise of Online Gig Work
This World Bank video clip looks at the rise of online gig work - the opportunities and the challenges that the growth of the sector poses. The World Bank are of the view that online gig work is...
Trade and Competitiveness - EU Launches Probe into Chinese Electric Car Subsidies
Is a new trade war in the offing? “Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars, and their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our...
In the News Teaching Activity: Unemployment Has Risen Slightly to 4.3% (Sept 2023)
The Office of National Statistics latest labour market overview shows a small rise in unemployment in the UK. Have a go at this free teaching activity, which includes a downloadable worksheet and...
King’s Cambridge Entrepreneurship Lab Entrepreneurial Essay Competition
There is a lot of student interest in the new essay competition launched by King's College Cambridge. This is just a quick reminder that the deadline for entries is 26th September 2023.
Introducing the A-Level Economics Diagram Bank for Teachers
Would you like to save hours creating your own diagrams for A-Level Economics lessons, activities and resources? This new, free Economics Diagram Bank for Teachers might help!Each diagram in this...
Dynamic Pricing - Leading pub brand plans to charge more at peak times
The owners of the Slug & Lettuce and Yates’s pub brands plan to raise prices at 800 venues during peak times to help cover soaring costs. Dynamic pricing is used in many sectors ranging from...
Development Economics - Have we reached Peak China?
This Amy Hawkins piece in the Guardian highlights two important aspects of China's recent development - the extent of poverty reduction, which represents a significant part of global poverty...
In the News Teaching Activity: Vaping and Negative Externalities (Sept 2023)
Poor recycling of disposable vapes is creating negative environmental externalities. Have a go at this free teaching activity, which includes a downloadable worksheet and suggested answers.
Government Intervention - Is it Time for a Meat Tax?
The Financial Times has published a new video on the arguments for and against a meat tax. Would a new tax help curb global meat production and consumption and help reach targets for...
Micro-policies to tackle unemployment
Macroeconomic outcomes have microeconomic foundations! This Guardian article looks at a localised scheme to tackle unemployment, which takes a highly personalised approach to trying to get some of...
Economics Weekly Quiz | 08 September 2023
A warm welcome back to the new term! Here's the first weekly economics news quiz of the academic year!
Why is the Argentinian economy in such a mess?
An excellent Economist piece that looks at the state of the Argentinian economy, with an economy in pieces - crippled by hyperinflation - and as a result, an extreme candidate well-placed to win...