Lessons from Denmark’s eight-hour workday reform
In recent years, calls for shorter working weeks have re-emerged in Europe and elsewhere. This column examines how Denmark’s 1919 shift to the eight-hour workday
How tariffs hurt the ones you love
US stock markets fell in response to the announcement of President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs until the tariffs were paused a few days later. This
Hidden growth in US manufacturing productivity
Manufacturing is a locus of innovation, yet standard industry data show manufacturing productivity stagnating in the US. This column argues that standard measurements understate true
The (non) effect of tariffs on manufacturing employment
The two most prominent arguments President Trump has advanced for his trade war – both during the early months of his second term, and for
Exit costs are entry costs: Why India needs to ease exit barriers for manufacturing firms
Despite an abundance of low-skill labour, India has never experienced the kind of takeoff in low-skill, labour-intensive manufacturing seen in other countries at comparable income
How wage inequality affects the labour movement
The negative correlation between inequality and unionisation rates in the US has been extensively documented, but while the other direction of causality – the impact
Understanding the impact of private equity on employees
The growth of the private equity in recent years has raised concerns about its consequences. This column matches 2.5 million workers who were employed by
Ukrainian refugee labour market access shows no impact on local employment outcomes in Czechia
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine sparked Europe’s largest refugee crisis since WWII. Unlike past waves of migrants, Ukrainian refugees gained immediate labour market access through
Fully remote work expands recruitment and boosts productivity
The Covid-19 pandemic sparked a large and lasting shift to remote work. This column draws on detailed administrative data from a major call centre in
When upskilling is good but not enough: Understanding labour shortages through a job-quality lens
Advanced economies are still experiencing labour shortages in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This column examines the high labour shortages across OECD countries, focusing
