Measuring national technological trajectories using 200 years of international patent data
Innovation underpins sustained long-run economic growth, yet measuring technological success is challenging. This column compiles two centuries of patent data and leverages filings in multiple
Causal evidence on cost-of-living shocks: How the energy crisis affected energy demand, labour supply, and financial strain
In a cost-of-living shock, households must cope with lower purchasing power while also substituting away from goods whose prices have risen. The distributional consequences of
Ageing like China: China’s pension reform debate enters a new phase
China is undergoing a sharp demographic transition: rapid population ageing, a shrinking labour force, persistently low fertility, and continued urbanisation. Using an overlapping-generations framework, this
Carbon pricing and inequality: Understanding the distributional costs of climate policy
Carbon pricing is widely regarded as an effective tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet it often faces strong public resistance. This column combines macroeconomic
From the outside in: How international manager rotations narrow the gender pay gap and change cultural norms
Most policy debates on gender inequality focus on formal rules such as pay transparency, quotas, anti-discrimination enforcement, or hiring targets. This column uses personnel records
From earth to heaven: The changing drivers of monetary policy
Business cycles in advanced economies are increasingly driven by global rather than domestic shocks. This column shows that global shocks now account for about half
The impact of Brexit on foreign-born workers in the UK
How did Brexit impact the UK labour market? This column uses synthetic differences-in-differences to estimate how Brexit changed the trajectory of foreign-born employment. The authors
Firms predict an AI productivity boom is coming
Comparable international survey data on artificial intelligence adoption by firms is still lacking. This column surveys over 5,000 CFOs, CEOs, and executives from stratified firm
The role of spending rigidity in fiscal adjustment
Public debt is at or near record highs in many economies. This column argues that the composition and flexibility of government spending are as important
What regional data tell us about the euro area Phillips curve
The relationship between inflation and economic slack, shown by the Phillips curve, has long been a cornerstone of economic policymaking. This column uses regional data
