Room for Industrial Policy?

“I’ll be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” – Donald J. Trump The arrival of Donald Trump into the White House initiated a new wave of industrial policy in the West. Prior to Mr. Trump it was the 2008/09 recession that ushered in Mr. Obama’s economic nationalism: “Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing”, and before that … Continue reading Room for Industrial Policy?

Climate change and economic growth: an impossible trade-off?

The first week of June 2023 was the hottest in recorded history. The planet has not seen a hotter week, month or year in the last 120,000 years. At current rates of inaction, temperature rise could reach 1.5°C  by the turn of the decade. “We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open,” remarked António Guterres, UN Secretary-General. As climate change looms large, it has become clear … Continue reading Climate change and economic growth: an impossible trade-off?

The economics of gender equality

What is the issue? Despite substantial progress in several aspects of gender equality over the past decade, including reductions in the workforce participation rate gap, the gender pay gap and unemployment rates in OECD countries, problems persist in developed and developing countries alike. These challenges have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent increase in unpaid labour – PwC’s Women in Work Index … Continue reading The economics of gender equality

Central Bank Digital Currencies: catalyst for financial inclusion?

Evolution of Money Traditionally, money is a metal token or a slip of paper symbolising a value of credit based upon people’s trust in it. Its three primary functions (store of value, means of exchange, and unit of measurement) have been served by constantly evolving means for 3000 years. The latest in this evolution is the digital currency. Unlike any type of currency to precede … Continue reading Central Bank Digital Currencies: catalyst for financial inclusion?