Why is the German economy struggling?
As a 50-year old economist, it seems odd to be writing that Germany is the "sick man of Europe" but it seems that this is where we are. The German economy is growing at a slower rate than the UK,...
Economics Weekly Quiz | 05 January 2024
Happy New Year! Here's our first weekly economics news quiz of 2024.
Ed Conway, the Sky News economics correspondent considers whether 2023 was a good or bad year for the UK economy.
Why Discount Grocers Thrive in the UK Supermarket Landscape
Aldi and Lidl continue to enjoy rapid sales growth in the UK as price-conscious consumers look for better value alternatives. Their climbing market share - driven by numerous new store openings -...
UK Macro Topics for the 2024 Economics Exams
Here is a recording of my YouTube video looking at ten key macro topic issues that might well feature in the 2024 Economics Exam series. Lots going on in the macroeconomy at the moment - please...
A Quick Primer on Sticky Wages
A quick primer on the concept of sticky wages - a Keynesian idea - which has become important during the cost of living crisis. Less than 25% of people in work are members of a trade union....
New Global Profits Tax for 2024
140 countries have agreed from 1st January 2024, to apply an effective tax rate of at least 15 per cent on corporate profits.
Royal Mail losing market share in the contestable parcels industry
The privatised Royal Mail is losing market share to scaled rivals according to data for 2022 published by Pitney Bowes. The industry is an oligopoly - the top four carriers in the UK (Royal Mail,...
UK House Prices Fall 1.8% in 2023
House prices fell by nearly 2 per cent during 2023 according to the Nationwide leaving the average price at £257,000. Even with this drop in prices, the FT reports that a deposit paid by a typical...
Financial Times - Bank Failures in 2023
The Financial Times has this excellent in-depth video exploring some of the bank failures that happened in 2023 and casting a critical eye on the wider fragility of the banking system as we head...
Angola Leaves the OPEC Cartel
Angola is leaving the Opec oil cartel following an output quota row. Their crude oil production has been in long-term decline and they have opposed OPEC's attempts to cut their base-line quota.
Robert Solow: Ninety-Nine Years of Economic Wisdom
A towering giant of modern Economics, Professor Bob Solow, has passed away at the age of 99. I was taught the Solow Model as a student at Cambridge and I have continued to teach and refer to it...
Somalia to rejoin global financial system after securing debt-relief deal
This IMF video clip looks at how the IMF and World Bank have approved HIPC status for Somalia, eradicating 90% of the economy's external debt, or $4.5bn, allowing for greater government spending on...
Scottish Government Raises Taxes for Higher Earners
The Scottish government has increased marginal tax rates for higher-earners and frozen tax allowances creating some fiscal drag effects along the way. The government has announced a new marginal...
UK to introduce a Carbon Border Tax in 2027
A key environmental intervention is set to come into force in 2027, a year later than the planned EU carbon border tax which will start in 2026. The news is reported here in the Guardian.
In the News Teaching Activity – Is Christmas 2023 likely to be a merry one for retailers? A gloomy tale of consumer spending (Dec 2023)
The Economics Observatory have taken a closer look as the factors that have influenced consumer spending in recent years and considers how retailers are likely to be affected.
Externalities and Development: Mexico's Yucatán Railway Project
The BBC reports here on one of Mexico's biggest-ever infrastructure projects - the Yucatan railway mega-project which is designed to lift growth and development but is already three times over...
Economics Weekly Quiz | 15 December 2023
Here's our final weekly economics news quiz of 2023. Have a great christmas and new year!
Record Debt Puts Developing Countries in Crisis
The World Bank has warned that higher interest rates are going to imperil the developmental prospects of many low income countries, by increasing debt repayments and, ultimately, increasing debt...
2023 King’s Entrepreneurship Lab Essay Competition Winners Announced
We were delighted to support the inaugural King’s College Cambridge Entrepreneurship Lab Essay Competition so ably run by Rhys Williams. This weekend the winners journeyed to Cambridge for a...