Blog and updates
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14 Jul 2023
Improving our definition of economic recession
The technical definition of an economic recession is a fall in the level of real national output (GDP) over a period of two consecutive quarters (at least 6 months). But an economic recession might...
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14 Jul 2023
What is Bidenomics?
Bidenomics is a term used to describe the economic policies of President Joe Biden. Bidenomics is based on the principles of fiscal stimulus, infrastructure investment, and tax fairness. Bidenomics...
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13 Jul 2023
Cost of Living Support - Government support seen as ineffective
The IFS and Joseph Rowntree Foundation have investigated the government's cost of living support package for the poor, and concludes that the £19 billion spent wasn't terribly effective at...
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13 Jul 2023
Price Gouging? Rise in airport drop-off fees is criticised
Drop-off fees have increased at many UK airports in the last year, according to new research from the RAC.
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12 Jul 2023
Rising interest rates - zombie firms may get wiped out
A zombie business is a company that is technically alive but is not economically viable. Zombie businesses are typically highly indebted and are only able to survive by borrowing money to service...
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12 Jul 2023
Pigouvian Taxes - Paris considers charging SUVs higher parking fees
An interesting take on the negative externalities of urban air pollution, with Paris seemingly on the point of charging SUV drivers higher parking fees. It strikes me that this is a good move,...
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12 Jul 2023
Buy to Let Mortgages - Problems Brewing for Landlords and Tenants?
Might the steep rise in mortgage interest rates and other costs such as energy bills and property repair prices cause thousands of landlords to have to sell their properties? Selling might...
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11 Jul 2023
UK Unemployment Rises to 4%
There are signs of a softening in the UK labour market with news that unemployment for March to May 2023 increased by 0.2 percentage points to 4% of the labour force.
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9 Jul 2023
What are loss leaders? Are they ethical?
This short looks at some of the arguments surround loss-leading by businesses such as supermarkets. A loss-leader is a pricing strategy where a business sells a product below average cost hoping to...
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8 Jul 2023
Growth and the Environment - Externalities of Nickel Mining in Indonesia
This BBC clip looks at the adverse effects of nickel mining in Indonesia. Given the increased global demand for nickel, this implies that the associated negative externalities are going to be...
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8 Jul 2023
South East Water spent more on dividends and debt than infrastructure
Who do privatised water companies serve? Their customers or their shareholders?
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7 Jul 2023
Economics Weekly Quiz | 07 July 2023
Here's our final weekly economics news quiz of the academic year.
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6 Jul 2023
Maths for Economists - Recommended Resources
Here are some resources for teachers and students wanting to boost their confidence in handling mathematics when studying economics!
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6 Jul 2023
Supernormal profits - World’s 722 biggest companies ‘making $1tn in windfall profits’
This report by Oxfam and Action Aid highlights the concept of windfall profits. But what are they? And how large is the estimated level of windfall profits generated by the world's biggest companies?
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3 Jul 2023
Environmental Economics - News Update
There is so much happening in the environmental economics news space at the moment. Here are some links to and reflections on a range of topical news stories ranging from New Zealand banning...
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30 Jun 2023
LSE economics magazine available free to schools
Every term, CentrePiece, the magazine of the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance, features the latest policy-focused work from the world-renowned economics institute – and it is available free to...
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29 Jun 2023
Digital Divide - Calls for VAT cut for low cost broadband
This is an inequality issue - with a House of Lords Committee suggesting that digital exclusion is a major problem and that the government should try to do something to close this gap, not least...
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29 Jun 2023
Will Thames Water have to be nationalised?
Privatisation (and possible nationalisation) in the spotlight again, in that the UK's largest water company, Thames Water appears to be on the point of collapsing under the weight of its own debt....
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26 Jun 2023
Inter-generational impact of mortgage rate hikes
Another example of inter-generational inequality, with the latest research in the housing market revealing that younger homeowners are going to bear the brunt of the current rise in mortgage...
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