Cross-border shopping: Evidence and welfare implications for Switzerland
Most research examining how the benefits from trade vary across domestic consumers focuses on imports. This column analyses the welfare implications of consumers in Switzerland
Wind of change: Cultural determinants of maternal labour supply
Despite progress in gender equality, significant labour market disparities persist, particularly impacting mothers after childbirth. This column investigates how cultural norms influence women’s labour supply
Balancing act: Credit growth and risks from the ECB’s dividend ban
In March 2020, the ECB recommended that euro area banks temporarily halt dividend distributions to shareholders and suspend share buybacks. As a result, dividends and
Rewiring supply chains through uncoordinated climate policy
Heterogeneity across different jurisdictions in climate policies to regulate firms’ emissions can lead to economic activity shifting away from countries with the most stringent environmental
Understanding lifetime earnings inequality through hours worked
Lifetime earnings in the US are highly unequal. This column examines a frequently overlooked factor to explain the persistence of lifetime earnings inequality: long-term differences
Traditional capital incentives slow the diffusion of next-generation technologies
Capital incentive policies are traditionally geared towards boosting tangible investments. However, with the rise of cloud computing, firms can now also access IT as a
US electoral impact of remote work and inter-state migration
Remote work and geographic mobility have surged in the US since 2020. This column examines trends for both and discusses the potential electoral implications. The
Counting the undead: A new metric for identifying zombie firms
Zombie firms are commonly defined as mature, consistently under-performing firms that are unable to repay their debt but sustain due to (subsidised) bank credit. This
Institutions and prosperity: The 2024 Nobel laureates
Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson of MIT together with James Robinson of the University of Chicago have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic
Health inequality and economic disparities by race, ethnicity, and gender
Economic inequality between white and non-white Americans remains pervasive. This column analyses how health inequality relates to disparities in other key economic outcomes. At age
