Imagine that everyone in Africa, from vendors in the bustling markets of Cairo, to agricultural workers in the remote villages of Kenya, had the power to save, borrow, and spend money with ease. This is the goal of financial inclusion in Africa. Data from the World Bank’s Global Findex 2021 reveals that while rapid expansion of mobile […]
Artificial intelligence is transforming the global workforce, but its impact may not affect all regions equally. Much of the conversation about AI and jobs focuses on high-income countries—where the technology threatens to reshape entire industries. But what will AI mean for workers in developing nations, who constitute 80 percent of the global workforce? To better understand […]
Central bank independence has recently re-emerged as a major concern within political economy discussions. This column shows that improvements in central bank independence yield long-lasting benefits, with a significantly greater impact on inflation in the long run compared to the short run. Additionally, it shows that central bank independence reduces inflation persistence, thereby enhancing the […]
An estimated 41% of full-time employees in the US work either fully or partly remotely, sparking discussion about the value employees place on remote work and its impact on wage-setting. This column estimates the value US tech industry employees assign to remote work. On average, individuals are willing to forgo 25% of their total compensation […]
In 2020 a guest post on this blog noted the launch of the Social Science Prediction Platform (SSPP). This platform is intended to facilitate the systematic collection and assessment of forecasts of social science results. We are both on the advisory board of the SSPP, and have used it in some of our own work, so have had a […]
Though federal spending on research and development has been a pillar of US innovation since World War II, the level and composition of that funding shows significant variation over time. This column introduces a comprehensive, open-access dataset identifying government-funded patents from 1900 to 2020, collected from administrative records of the US Patent and Trademark Office. […]
Half of the graduates from top economics PhD programmes in the US publish next to nothing in the years following degree completion. This column studies the role of PhD advisors at eight elite schools, including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, and finds that students guided by prolific advisors (in the sense of having many advisees) publish […]
Recent fiscal projections for the US forecast a rising debt-GDP ratio which exceeds the peak at the end of World War II. This column shows that over the last 20 years, there is no longer evidence of a stabilising fiscal feedback, where higher projected deficits lead to more deficit reduction. It argues that the current […]
President Trump’s recent pronouncements on tariffs have received considerable attention from analysts, policymakers, and commentators. This column takes a step back and considers some of the broader arguments for raising tariffs – revenue, restriction, and reciprocity – and the potential repercussions. Even if Trump does not proceed with (all of) the announced tariffs, the increased […]
Date: 15th-16th February 2025 Event Description: : Heralding its journey from 2015, The Times Group’s ETNow Global Business Summit has established itself as the pinnacle of intellectual engagement and strategic foresight, acclaimed as one of Asia’s foremost forum for reimagining the future of business and society. This distinguished platform unites the world’s most celebrated thought […]
