Willem Buiter, a former Chief Economist at Citigroup and ex-member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, dives deep into the complex dynamics between central banks and governments. He outlines six future challenges central banks face, including the tension between fiscal dominance and independence. Buiter critiques existing theories on price levels and warns of the risks posed by central bank operations, emphasizing the need for reform to ensure economic stability and effective policymaking.

Do you and your boss see the world in the same way and how does that affect your performance at work? You might not agree with your boss about everything. But if you and your boss don’t have the same outlook, does this mean you will be less productive? Alexia Delfino of Bocconi University measured both the values and the performance of employees at a global bank. She tells Tim Phillips whether shared values mean better outcomes – and what this means for diversity and team building.

Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. The menopause can be a huge biological shock to women, but there has been almost no research into the consequences for their working lives. A new study uses administrative data from Norway and Sweden to discover the consequences of the menopause, both for health and for earnings. Rita Ginja of the university of Bergen tells Tim Phillips about the surprising size and persistence of the menopause penalty, and the difference that education and choice of career can make.

Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Whenever economists gather, you will find many of tomorrow’s best economists too. They get a rare chance to present their research, and traditionally we like to ask three of them to talk to us about it too. In this episode, Tim Phillips talks to three more young researchers about their work – and about how economics can do better. Matyas Molnar of Central European University describes his paper “International exhibitions as trade promotion”. Laura Arnemann of the University of Mannheim investigated “Taxes and Pay without Performance: Evidence from Executives”. And Gustavo García Bernal of Sciences Po speaks about “From Parent to Child: Intergenerational Wealth Dynamics and Inequalities.”

In this discussion, Karen Macours, an economist at the Paris School of Economics, sheds light on the detrimental effects of menstrual stigma on schoolgirls in Madagascar. She reveals how a groundbreaking program tackled this issue by encouraging open conversations about periods and empowering young girl leaders. The results showed a significant boost in mental health and graduation rates among participants. Macours emphasizes the importance of creating supportive school environments to enhance educational success and reduce anxiety for female students.

Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. During the first half of the 20th century, the US introduced state laws that imposed restrictions on when and how women were permitted to work outside the home. These laws seem bizarre in 2025. Why were they introduced – and why were they eventually repealed? In the first of three episodes to celebrate International Women’s Day, Tim Phillips talks to Anne Hannusch of the University of Mannheim about what motivated the movement to keep women out of the workplace, and what, eventually, brought them back in.

Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Recent research shows that our sex and race still affect our life chances. New evidence investigates whether class is still important in one profession that's close to home: academia. Anna Stansbury of MIT talks to Tim Phillips about what we mean when we talk about class, how it affects the careers of academics who get their PhDs from the top universities in the US – and why the class system, at least in academia, still exists.

It seems like many more of us have been working from home for at least part of the week. But bosses fret about the effect on productivity when their employees are out of sight. And we’re increasingly hearing about companies who are demanding that their staff to return to the office for four, or even five, days a week. Alessandra Fenizia of George Washington University talks to Tim Phillips about her research into a group of hybrid workers in the UK public sector whose work patterns make it possible to compare productivity at home and in the office. 

It is now a month since President Trump’s inauguration, and it’s fair to say that a lot has happened already. In a special episode we talk to Moreno Bertoldi of ISPI and Marco Buti of EUI about how the EU can be smart when imposing reciprocal tariffs, whether the US economic agenda and the EU’s growth strategy are sustainable – and how the EU can maintain a united front in response to a looming trade war. 

Jonna Olsson, an economist from the Norwegian School of Economics, dives into the complexities of work patterns and productivity. She discusses whether more productive individuals really work more or less, challenging common beliefs. Olsson explores the intricate balance between wages and leisure, revealing how economic growth influences these choices. The conversation also touches on how risk management and access to insurance can affect productivity, alongside a critique of current labor market models that overlook essential dynamics.