Category: Applied economics

“The digital economy in a time of Covid”

In case of interest, here's a presentation I made on 1st October to students of economics and finance on "The digital economy in a time of Covid". It covers topics such as the growth of online retail, zero-hours contracts, the pros and cons of homeworking - and why Amazon apparently pays so little tax... digital-economy-covid-oct-2020Download

Would a ‘no deal’ Brexit really cost three times more than Covid?

Brexit talks resumed this week with growing hopes that a trade deal can be done in time for the October EU summit. This follows speculation that the UK has softened its position after Boris Johnson was ‘shocked by a London School of Economics report suggesting that no deal would cost Britain up to three times … Continue reading Would a ‘no deal’ Brexit really cost three times more than Covid? →

Is the UK heading for a ‘tsunami’ of job losses?

Today’s headlines understandably focus on the latest rise in unemployment, especially among the young. Losing a job is potentially a life-changer for many people. But it is no shock that the UK labour market has weakened given the depth of the Covid recession. The real news is that the deterioration is not as bad as … Continue reading Is the UK heading for a ‘tsunami’ of job losses? →

Jury still out on ‘Eat Out to Help Out’

Like many, I was sceptical about the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme when it was first announced. Indeed, we may never really know what the net impact on the economy has been. But the evidence so far at least is encouraging. To recap, ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ (EOTHO) was a UK government subsidy … Continue reading Jury still out on ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ →