The AI premium
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the economy and society. This column analyses how AI affects firms, markets, and workers using 380 trillion tokens of realised
What four charts reveal about the global jobs challenge
A record number of young people are approaching working age in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), creating a historic global jobs challenge. Generating sufficient job
Beyond the snapshot: How poverty really unfolds over time in the EU
Poverty is not a static condition but a dynamic process. Yet the at-risk-of-poverty rate, which underpins EU poverty monitoring, captures who is poor in a
Dividend tax reforms: Why design shapes revenue and measured inequality
Governments increasingly look to capital income for both revenue and redistribution. This column compares two dividend tax reforms in Israel – a permanent rate increase
Creating Jobs Through a Business Plan Competition: Does it matter how entrepreneurs are selected and how much funding they are given?
Of the estimated 244 million firms in Africa, 232 million (95%) are own-account businesses consisting of only the owner, and a further 7.7 million (3.1%) have
Debt service and fiscal sustainability
Debt sustainability analysis typically focuses on debt stocks and the interest rate-growth rate differential, but these are not perfect predictors of fiscal stress. This column
Technology adoption and labour shortages: Evidence from Britain’s Industrial Revolution
As populations in rich countries age and fewer youngsters enter the labour force, employers and politicians bemoan labour ‘shortages’. This column turns to historical evidence
After the fire: How Ukrainian strikes disrupt local economies around Russian refineries
Measuring the local economic effects of Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries is difficult because reliable local data are scarce and both information and
Don’t drain the swamp! Populism, bureaucracy, and economic performance
Populist leaders increasingly cast public sector experts, oversight bodies, and career civil servants as illegitimate ‘elites’ standing in the way of the popular will. But
Why Europe’s banks stay home: Regulatory fragmentation and the cost of an incomplete banking union
Despite major institutional reforms, the European Banking Union remains incomplete. Banking markets remain fragmented along national lines, which constrains Europe’s growth potential. This column uses
