VoxTalks Economics

Even though countries all over the developed world implemented short-time work policies during the great recession, we didn't know whether they worked. Now we do: Camille Landais and Giulia Giupponi of the London School of Economics tell Tim Phillips whether short-time work protects workers, firms or economies.

We are sending more people to prison than ever. But we know surprisingly little about whether, and how, prison sentences cut crime. Gordon Dahl of USC San Diego tells Tim Phillips about new research that shows how prison sentences can work for both inmates and society.

Firms like to be politically connected, because it makes it easier for them to do business. But is it good for the rest of us? Ufuk Akcigit of the University of Chicago tells Tim Phillips about the consequences of connecting to power. Read about Ufuk's other work on business taxation, innovation and protectionism on VoxEU.org.

In the developed world borders are being closed and popular resistance to immigration is rising. Yet Lant Pritchett of Harvard University tells Tim Phillips that the rate of migration from poor to rich countries is actually five times too low. Planned mass migration of unskilled labour, he argues, would make everyone better off. Read more about Lant's views on labour mobility on VoxEU.

This weekend marks 100 years since the end of World War 1. But is the history of the war that we learn at school the whole story? The 20 essays in a new VoxEU ebook on the economic history of the war challenge the conventional wisdom about how the war started, why it was won and lost, and its consequences.  Tim Phillips talks to Mark Harrison of the University of Warwick, one of the book’s editors.  Download The Economics of the Great War for free from VoxEU.org.

Firms are becoming more unequal in every country and sector. Is the rise of a few superstar firms good or bad the economy, and should we do anything about it? Tim Phillips asks John Van Reenen of MIT to be policymaker for a day. More coverage of superstar firms from voxeu.org here, here and here.

We know that increasing the school leaving age cuts crime, but why? Is it because kids who are most likely to commit crimes are learning things that make them more employable, or is just because they're off the streets? Tim Phillips talks to Steve Machin of the LSE about new research into the importance of these effects. Read about the research at VoxEU.org.

What accounts for London's explosive growth in the 19th and early 20th centuries? Tim Phillips talks to Stephen Redding of Princeton University about new research that shows how important the railways have been, and continue to be, in creating the modern metropolis. Read about the research on VoxEU.org

In the US, unemployment is at its lowest point for two decades. Wage growth is rising, the economy is growing. Tim Phillips asks Jeffrey Frankel of Harvard University why he worries about the depth of the next recession. Read Jeffrey's blog on VoxEU.org.

It's no secret that women have been under-represented in the boardroom in general, and central bank boards are no different. We also know that firms in which women are decision-makers tend to behave differently. Tim Phillips talks to Paola Profeta, one of the authors of a new paper that finds that female central bankers have a measurable effect on monetary policy. Find out more about her research at VoxEU.org.