Economics

Work as a vector – in a tale of two carbons

In work we are all combinations of the artist and the photocopier. Here we begin to uncouple the two. Genius, Thomas Edison famously remarked, is one per cent inspiration and 99 per…

How to be stretched like a rubber band

Standing in a local shopping centre, I am thinking, “What do I know?” It is Saturday afternoon in Meadowhall, Sheffield, in England’s north and its galleries have filled with bustling consumers weaving…


A new economics for an age of innovation

Prosperity, health, longevity – all good things in principle but they come with a cost. In this major new section of Chief-Exec.com we seek to discover how society can pay the bill…


Four charts, two scenarios and a dilemma

UK Prime Minister Theresa May could find herself on the horns of a dilemma She has a problem. To quell the unrest that led to the Brexit vote she needs to address…


Wherein lies the future for economic migration?

In the forthcoming trade-off between migration controls and access to European Union (EU) markets, the UK economy could be hit from both sides, leading to a possible lose-lose outcome. This is the…


Migration fault lines revealed

Few issues stir up such strident opinion as migration. From the wish to control borders and protect jobs and communities, to the need to open the door wide and welcome workers with…


Hammond bets on a productive future

In 51 minutes and with 15 references to “productivity” the UK Chancellor Philip Hammond threw more light on what a post-Brexit Britain could look like than all the uncountable hours of hints…


The Game of Brexit

In one way it is fortunate that the pre-negotiations on Brexit have staked out the territory. The game has crystallised into two dimensions – controls to reduce unwanted migration into the UK…


Passing the silver baton

One reason that Capital in the 21st Century has become a best seller is that it deals with issues of real significance for “baby boomers” and a generation on either side.  Thomas…


October economic round-up

It is official The economic weather following the Brexit referendum on June 23 was generally mild.  Earlier stormy forecasts proved to be off the mark, though a few areas have witnessed significant…