Dubai could create its own demographic dividend 26 Sep 2016 The emirate has weathered low oil prices, but an unbalanced workforce means it is missing an economic opportunity. Only one in 23 active workers is a local, official data suggests. If Dubai can't turn citizens into workers, it might as well turn skilled workers into citizens.
Globalisation needs better cheerleaders 13 Sep 2016 Free trade and capital flows are often blamed for disadvantaging workers in the West. A new study suggests they have not all fared as poorly as many believe, and that domestic policies can make a difference. Still, statistics and studies alone won’t shake globalisation’s bad rap.
Sports Direct gets image overhaul half right 6 Sep 2016 The retailer released a harsh report about working conditions before its AGM and announced a corporate governance review. The trouble is both will have been done by its own legal advisers. To really change investors' minds, owner Mike Ashley needs a more independent stock take.
Contrary smoke signals bedevil Brexit firefighting 17 Aug 2016 An unexpected drop in the number of people claiming jobless benefit jars with other, grimmer survey data. Monetary policy has already been eased to manage any post-vote slowdown and a fiscal stimulus is likely. Clashing signals make it harder for policymakers to target such help.
Lloyds dividend machine gets post-Brexit dent 28 Jul 2016 The UK bank has cut back the volume of capital it expects to generate following Britain’s vote to leave the EU. Lloyds is a less risky bank than post-2008. But it is exposed to a domestic slowdown, and its dividend story now looks less compelling.
Sports Direct scandal debunks UK employment glory 22 Jul 2016 UK lawmakers have issued a damning report on the retailer and say working conditions hark back to Victorian times. Founder Mike Ashley has big problems to fix. But there’s a wider economic malaise if workers put up with such poor treatment even when the jobless rate is very low.
Migration has masked UK skills shortage 7 Jul 2016 Britain has a paucity of negotiators to thrash out post-EU trade deals. This is not the only national shortage of know-how. Over a quarter of adults in England lack basic skills, the OECD says. Migrants have helped plug a gap that homegrown talent may struggle to fill quickly.
Goldman’s BHS faux pas is cost of doing business 30 Jun 2016 The investment bank admitted its reputation was not enhanced advising retail magnate Philip Green on the sale of the now-bust UK retailer. Indeed it wasn’t. But courting the rich and colourful is just another kind of trade. Sometimes it brings revenue, sometimes it brings costs.