Hiroshima: Resilience of city structure after the atomic bombing
Cities have faced a host of shocks throughout history, including earthquakes, hurricanes, coastal flooding, and storm surges, as well as wartime destruction, such as in
Three barriers to municipal finance—and how to overcome them to create jobs and growth
Cities in low- and middle-income countries are growing fast—but their ability to finance the infrastructure and services needed to support people and jobs is lagging behind. The
Charting a smarter ocean future for Thailand
Thailand’s coastal and marine resources are vital engines of growth. From pristine beaches that attract millions of tourists each year to the Eastern Economic Corridor
The 2025 trade war: Dynamic impacts across US states and the global economy
In 2025, the US government announced a series of tariff increases targeting major trading partners, including Canada, China, and Mexico. This column estimates the economic
Employment protection legislation reforms and the rising cost of job loss
A widely cited argument in favour of easing employment protection rules is that greater flexibility in hiring and firing can lead to increased job matching
Sanctions, trade shocks, and firms’ adjustment margins
The sanctions which followed the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine generated a large trade shock for firms trading with Russia. This column examines the short-run
How to manage the economic trade-offs of public procurement policies in developing economies
Government procurement—the process in which public entities buy goods and services from private companies—represents between 5% and 20% of a country’s GDP, depending on the
Big techs’ AI empire
Advances in AI are transforming the economy. Behind this wave of visible innovation lies a less visible but significant trend: the role of large technology
Agreed and disagreed uncertainty: Rethinking the macroeconomic impact of uncertainty
The conventional wisdom is that uncertainty leads to economic contractions, but recent evidence challenges this assumption. This column introduces two novel concepts of uncertainty –
Working from home boosted growth by expanding disability employment
Individuals with a disability have remarkably low employment rates compared to the rest of the population. This column examines whether the rapid rise in the
