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 on wage and non-wage job quality. Real wages have generally increased, but with differences between countries and industries. Beyond pay, job insecurity, poor working conditions, and exposure to health risks […]
Geopolitical issues are flooding current political and economic debate, but evidence is limited on their interplay with structural policies. Combining information on geopolitical risks and the EU cohesion policy, this column evaluates the costs of geopolitical tensions in terms of reduced effectiveness of structural funds. The results indicate that the impact of the cohesion policy […]
The major turbulence being experienced by the world economy could lead to a global recession and the collapse of the norms and institutions that have been critical for stability and economic development since the Second World War. In particular, the United States has adopted a level of tariff protection last seen in the 1930s and […]
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 firms – commonly referred to as ‘big techs’ – across the AI supply chain. This column analyses the AI supply chain and the market structure of every input layer, highlighting […]
The market capitalisation of Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) has surged by 463% over the last ten years to reach $2.7 trillion at the end of 2024, making it the largest equity market in the Middle East, according to S&P. The significant growth has been driven by the kingdom’s drive to boost market liquidity by getting […]
The world is facing a longstanding global learning and skills crisis. Over half of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text, and 87 percent of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2024, 251 million children and young people were out of school, and as of 2023, 468 million lived in a conflict zone […]
Oil prices rebounded over 1% on Tuesday with technical rebound and dip buying after a drop in prior session by OPEC+ decision to accelerate increases in output, although concerns about the market surplus outlook persisted. Brent crude futures rose 92 cents to $61.15 a barrel by 0309 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude added […]
The transition to clean energy will require a significant reallocation of technological investments away from fossil energy sources towards cleaner alternatives. This column investigates whether leveraging the technological capabilities in the fossil energy supply chain can help incentivise this reallocation with the required speed. Using data from Norway, the authors highlight an underexplored channel for […]
It is down more than 4% on both the euro and the yen through April, though bounced at the end of last week on an apparent conciliatory shift in the tone of U.S.-China relations. The dollar held steady on Monday as investors waited warily on news of U.S. trade policy and braced for a week […]
In recent years, banks’ credit line exposure to non-bank financial institutions has grown significantly. This column analyses the implications by focusing on a specific type of such institutions – real estate investment trusts. These trusts are significant investors in commercial real estate and therefore exposed to rising interest rates and economic slowdowns. They have higher […]
