Every economic downturn is unique but often involve some form of demand side or supply side shock. A ‘demand-side’ shock occurs when businesses and households collectively reduce their spending in the economy. Good examples include stock market or property crashes that lead to a general loss of...

The announcement last week that Wrightbus has gone into administration with the loss of up to 1,200 jobs has dealt a significant blow to Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector at a time when the sector faces an existential threat. Furthermore, it is just the latest in a long series of closures to...

How do we lessen the plight of the low paid and ensure that workers are rewarded a decent wage for their work? Is it enough for policy to focus solely on increasing the minimum wage? This Blog looks at recent UK policy which has sought to tackle low pay and suggests that if the Government is really...

The way we shop in the UK has changed dramatically in just the space of a decade. In 2008 less than five per cent of retail spending was online, and that share has almost quadrupled in the years since. The latest statistics published just this morning show that in March this year almost a fifth of...

Anecdotal evidence from the Construction sector suggests bogus self-employment is rampant and growing as a share of employment in the sector. However, due to its nature, much of bogus self-employment occurs in the black economy, which raises issues around estimating precisely how widespread it is...

The collective challenge we face from human induced climate change cannot be overstated. Meeting this challenge will require decisive action by countries all over the world. The IPCC’s recommendation of a 45% reduction in global emissions over 2010 levels by 2030 to mitigate the worst effects of...

Budget 2020 is an opportunity to widen the tax base and increase scope for spending on areas like childcare, education and infrastructure. One of the best ways we can do this is by increasing the property tax. The latest NERI inBrief makes just such a case. So what is the case in favour of shifting...