Section
Economics
Bond scares and the balance of power
U.S. long-term interest rates have surged to their highest since 2007, prompting the Treasury to intervene in bond markets amid rising global debt levels and…
The slow sucking sound of AI mania
U.S. AI companies have received nearly two-thirds of venture capital funding and a quarter of investment-grade debt issuance over the past year, raising concerns about…
UK inflation jumps 2.9% on energy costs
Britain’s annual inflation rate rose to 2.9 percent in July, driven largely by a 13 percent hike in household energy prices due to the ongoing…
Inflation unlikely to bring rate rise
The Bank of England is expected to keep its interest rate steady at 3.75 percent for the rest of 2024 despite inflation rising to 2.9…
Australia's Q2 wages rise 0.8% in June: data
Australian wages increased by 0.8 percent in the second quarter of 2026, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of steady growth and an annual rise of…
Consumer confidence on rise in boost for Burnham
Consumer confidence in the UK increased by eight points in August, particularly among Generation Z, according to the British Retail Consortium’s latest data. This rise…
High fuel prices drive rise in inflation rate as tariffs loom
Canada’s inflation rate increased to 3 percent in July, largely due to a 25.7 percent surge in gasoline prices influenced by Middle East geopolitical tensions…
Iran inflation prompts ‘buy now, pay later’ offers
Iranian companies are increasingly offering "buy now, pay later" options as inflation surges above 80 percent and a naval blockade disrupts trade, severely limiting consumer…
Burnham economic ‘bounce’ may be ending amid rising inflation
The UK's economy experienced the fastest GDP growth among G7 countries in the first half of 2026 under Prime Minister Andy Burnham but now faces…
US retail sales fell fastest in over a year, Fed unlikely to hike rates
US retail sales fell by 0.6 percent in July, marking their steepest decline since May 2025 and signaling a slowdown in consumer spending. This downturn,…
India must create green demand that is equitable before companies step in
India aims to increase its GDP nearly eightfold by 2047 while achieving net-zero emissions, a dual goal unprecedented among major economies. This ambitious plan requires…
Domestic inflation ‘a key risk’ for RBA
The Reserve Bank of Australia is closely monitoring persistent domestic inflation pressures despite a stronger Australian dollar easing headline inflation and is expected to hold…
Stop assuming GDP is an indicator of prosperity
Economist Mahbub ul Haq challenged the reliance on GDP as the sole measure of economic success, highlighting how growth often fails to address poverty and…
The enormous oil wealth that lets Norway cushion its senior citizens
Norway’s oil wealth supports a pension system that pays senior citizens nearly double the UK’s state pension, with benefits replacing about 60 percent of typical…
What happened to prudence? Energy shock and fiscal policy
Governments worldwide implemented nearly 900 broad fiscal measures by mid-2023 to cushion the impact of energy shocks, resulting in sharply increased public debt levels that…
Whatever happened to prudence? Analysis of fiscal policy and debt
By mid-2023, nearly 900 government interventions in 170 countries had broadly subsidized energy costs, often without clear end dates, despite IMF calls for targeted and…
How exposed is the UK to the second China shock?
China’s rising exports and declining imports are prompting varied responses from major trading partners, with the UK adopting a cautious but open trade stance that…
Shadow MPC Urges Bank of England to Hold Interest Rates
The Bank of England is expected to maintain its interest rate at 3.75 percent tomorrow, following a majority recommendation to hold steady amid uncertain fiscal…
Japan awakes to inflation
The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1 percent in June 2025, marking the first increase since 1995 and signaling a shift…
Japan awakes to inflation
The Bank of Japan has raised its benchmark interest rate to 1 percent for the first time since 1995, signaling an end to over three…
OECD urges UK to narrow regional gaps to lift growth
The OECD's 2026 report urged the UK to reduce regional productivity gaps through coordinated investments in skills, infrastructure, and innovation to enhance economic growth and…
Africa faces devastating choices as foreign aid plummets
Official aid to sub-Saharan Africa has dropped by about 26 percent in one year, severely disrupting funding for critical services such as healthcare, food assistance,…
Devolution lacks easy answers over ‘fairness’
Andy Burnham, the UK’s incoming prime minister, has committed to shifting economic decision-making powers from Westminster to local and regional governments to stimulate growth and…
Welcome to the age of the Profit Dollar
The U.S. dollar has shifted from a gold-backed reserve currency held primarily by central banks to a liquid asset predominantly favored by private investors and…
The price of good intentions
Economists including Alvin Roth, Mariana Mazzucato, Gabriel Zucman, and others have published works challenging traditional views on markets, government roles, wealth taxation, and money creation.…
Bank of Mum and Dad drives a wave of early retirement
An increasing number of older workers in Britain are retiring before reaching state pension age due to larger and more frequent inheritances. This trend could…
Is the UK enjoying a productivity rebound?
New data from the ONS show conflicting measurements of UK productivity growth over the past year, with estimates ranging from 0.4% to 2.1% depending on…
Trump 'loves inflation' as oil pushes up US rate again
US inflation rose to an annual rate of 4.2% in May, driven largely by higher energy costs linked to the Iran conflict, marking the fastest…
Development at Every Point on Economic and Social Spectrum - James Heckman Interview
Economist James Heckman assessed China’s economic outlook, noting that geopolitical tensions and demographic changes are likely to slow growth in the short term despite the…
Why the case for raising interest rates is growing
Major central banks have kept interest rates steady despite the current Middle East energy shock, but rising inflation expectations and moderate labor market tightness suggest…