Is choosing not to work a rational response to economic conditions? May 2, 2025 Economic theory teaches that people will make the optimal allocation of their time between work and leisure, and if they can’t earn why bother to work? That’s a choice neither individuals, nor the country can afford, says Paul Ormerod The rise in worklessness is acknowledged across the political spectrum to be a serious problem. It [...]
FTSE 100’s winning streak falters as White House ‘clouds’ market sentiment April 24, 2025 The FTSE 100 slid into the red on Thursday putting the index on course to end an eight-day consecutive run of gains. The blue-chip index was down over one per cent in early trading before a late-morning rebound left it broadly flat at midday. London’s blue-chips soared at the beginning of the week as President [...]
Method in Trump’s madness? What economic theory teaches us about tariffs April 9, 2025 Trump's tariffs have sent the world into a frenzy but there could be method yet. Economic theory shows that tariffs reduce prices, writes Paul Ormerod.
Reeves’ black hole alarmism is creating something scarier: A real one April 2, 2025 Reeves' fearmongering has scared Brits into saving. The consequences will be more frightening than Reeves' 'black hole', writes Paul Ormerod.
Dollar risks losing safe haven status, says Deutsche Bank March 4, 2025 The dollar is at risk of losing its traditional status as a safe haven for global investors following a tariff backlash, a European banking giant has warned. German-based Deutsche Bank said: “This needs to be acknowledged as a possibility” after the speed and scale of geopolitical uncertainty accelerated the dollar’s turmoil. The concerns were shared [...]
Debt brake the central focus for investors ahead of German election February 21, 2025 The German elections will take place this weekend amid a dire economic backdrop in Europe's largest economy.
Brexit hit to UK trade not as bad as first thought December 18, 2024 The negative impact Brexit had on UK trade may have been softened by big firms adapting to EU barriers, fresh research from a top London university has shown. A report from the Centre for Economic Performance, linked to the London School of Economics, found that “in the short run, aggregate trade proved moderately resilient” to [...]
UK wages continue to surge as Bank of England set to decide on interest rates December 17, 2024 UK unemployment remained steady over the last three months as wage growth surged over the quarter to October. Unemployment was unchanged at 4.3 per cent for the second straight month during October, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed. The number of people claiming jobless benefits climbed by just 300 in November, beating the [...]
US inflation ticks up as market holds breath for Fed cut December 11, 2024 US inflation ticked up to 2.7 per cent in November, a rise from 2.6 per cent in October and matching analyst expectations. This was the highest level of inflation that the US has experienced since July, after dipping to as low as 2.4 per cent throughout September. Inflation has not been below its 2 per [...]
Will Keir Starmer meet his pledge to improve living standards? December 5, 2024 Before the General Election Labour was proudly proclaiming its commitment to generating economic growth. The first ‘mission’ in the party’s manifesto was to secure the highest sustained growth rate in the G7. After Keir Starmer’s speech earlier today, that mission has been downgraded to an ‘aim’. The new pledge, heavily trailed before the speech, is [...]