Let’s roll back auto-enrolment

Philip Booth
30 June 2020
Labour Market

Let’s roll back auto-enrolment

Pension auto-enrolment was one of the early significant policies arising from the government’s “nudge unit”. The argument was that employees suffer from inertia and therefore do not save as much as they would rationally like to. Enrolling employees in a pension scheme and then allowing them to opt out, it was suggested, would lead to ... Continue reading
Philip Booth
30 June 2020
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There’s nothing wrong with trying to put a monetary value on a human life

Julian Jessop
25 June 2020
Economic Theory

There’s nothing wrong with trying to put a monetary value on a human life

The IEA has just published a new Covid-19 Briefing Paper that I have written, Coronavirus and the Economic Value of Human Life, or, as the sub-title puts it, Is the lockdown worth it?. The pandemic has provided many grim examples of some familiar problems in health economics and cost-benefit analysis, and of the “tragic choices” ... Continue reading
Julian Jessop
25 June 2020
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Post-coronavirus, how should the West approach China?

Stephen Davies
23 June 2020
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Post-coronavirus, how should the West approach China?

Covid–19 has done more than cause a medical and economic crisis. It is provoking a major reorientation of the foreign policy of both the United States and Europe. At the heart of this is the question of their changing relationship with China. It is important that “liberal democracies” answer that question correctly, as the obvious ... Continue reading
Stephen Davies
23 June 2020
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Pope Francis and a Universal Basic Income

Philip Booth
18 June 2020
Welfare

Pope Francis and a Universal Basic Income

In a recent letter, Pope Francis suggested that we consider the provision of a “universal basic wage”. Published on Easter Sunday 2020 and issued to “Brothers and Sisters of Popular Movements and Organizations”, the letter said: “Street vendors, recyclers, carnies, small farmers, construction workers, dressmakers, the different kinds of caregivers: you who are informal, working ... Continue reading
Philip Booth
18 June 2020
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School closures carry a heavy economic price

Julian Jessop
17 June 2020
Education

School closures carry a heavy economic price

Many people are increasingly worried about the slow pace of school reopening in the UK. The focus has mainly been on the harms done to the welfare of children and their families. But there are also rising concerns about the wider impact on the economy. This article summarises both the social and economic issues, and ... Continue reading
Julian Jessop
17 June 2020
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How will Covid-19 affect global trade?

Syed Kamall
16 June 2020
Trade, Development, and Immigration

How will Covid-19 affect global trade?

In April, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) published its latest trade forecast predicting global trade in goods would fall by between 13% and 32% in 2020 due to the economic impact of Covid-19. The forecasts are illustrated in the graph below, showing both pessimistic and optimistic scenarios.   World merchandise trade volume, 2000‑2022 (100 = ... Continue reading
Syed Kamall
16 June 2020
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The UK economy should be able to reboot itself, if markets are allowed to work properly again

Julian Jessop
11 June 2020
Tax and Fiscal Policy

The UK economy should be able to reboot itself, if markets are allowed to work properly again

This week the IEA and Civitas published a joint paper, Rebooting Britain, on the economics of the Covid-19 crisis, written by Len Shackleton and myself. Many commentators are arguing that the pandemic has demonstrated the need for permanent increases in government intervention and in public spending. We came to exactly the opposite conclusion. These are ... Continue reading
Julian Jessop
11 June 2020
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How the labour market can recover from the Covid-19 crisis

Len Shackleton
10 June 2020
Labour Market

How the labour market can recover from the Covid-19 crisis

Millions of jobs will be seen to have been lost and thousands of businesses destroyed once furloughing is ended. In preparing for emergence from lockdown, our aim must be to make it as easy as possible for existing businesses to revive and new businesses to start up – and to encourage them to take on as ... Continue reading
Len Shackleton
10 June 2020
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Recovery from the pandemic will require a single-minded focus on maximising growth

Sinclair Davidson
9 June 2020
Regulation

Recovery from the pandemic will require a single-minded focus on maximising growth

The COVID-19 pandemic will be a global trauma that people talk about – argue about – for decades. Debate is beginning to rage about whether governments made the correct choice to “flatten the curve” and relieve the expected disease burden on public health services. To buy time sounded like a good idea in March. In ... Continue reading
Sinclair Davidson
9 June 2020
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The dodgy economics of “Snowpiercer” and “The Platform”: an econ bore’s movie review

Kristian Niemietz
5 June 2020
Economic Theory

The dodgy economics of “Snowpiercer” and “The Platform”: an econ bore’s movie review

I normally do not pay attention to implicit political messages in movies or TV series. I blank out a movie’s politics deliberately, because I already know in advance that I’ll disagree with it, that I’ll find it silly, and that concentrating on it would just ruin the movie for me. In recent weeks, however, lockdown-induced ... Continue reading
Kristian Niemietz
5 June 2020
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