Category Archives: Employment

Figuring out the strange new rules of resource constraint

Just a decade ago, Australian labour was easy to find and infrastructure projects were often no-brainers. Now our economic times seem to have changed – and policymakers may need to adjust to a new set of rules. The world is … Continue reading

Posted in Economics and public policy, Employment, Immigration and refugees, Politics - national | 3 Comments

How Shorism might win Australia’s federal election

Looking at Australian politics right now, one thing stands out: the federal ALP has become a little Shorist. I don’t know how long it will last, or whether it’s even a conscious strategy. But it’s definitely happening.  What does “Shorist” … Continue reading

Posted in Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Inequality, Politics - national, Social Policy | Tagged , | 11 Comments

David Card won the 2021 Economics Nobel. Why should we fear minimum wage hikes?

One of economics’ most famous papers – the 1994 minimum wage study by David Card and Alan Krueger – has just won David Card (pictured) half of a Nobel Prize in Economics. The overall reasons for Card’s award are well … Continue reading

Posted in Economics and public policy, Employment, Social Policy | 9 Comments

The Great Covid Panic: now out!

It’s here, the booklet I am sure you have all been waiting for. The one which Gigi Foster and Michael Baker slaved over for 10 months. It is also on Kindle. It is dedicated to all the victims of the … Continue reading

Posted in Bargains, Coronavirus crisis, Dance, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Ethics, Health, History, Humour, Inequality, Isegoria, IT and Internet, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Literature, Media, Medical, Parenting, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Print media, Public and Private Goods, Religion, Review, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Sortition and citizens’ juries, Terror, Theatre, Travel, WOW! - Amazing | 7 Comments

Unseen trends and the society we are becoming.

Societies are evolving and complex, which often makes it hard to see at any moment where things are going. It was thus with the move of Northern European countries towards democracy in the 19th century, which seems inevitable and clear … Continue reading

Posted in bubble, Bullshit, Business, Climate Change, Education, Employment, Geeky Musings, History, Humour, Immigration and refugees, IT and Internet, Social, Theatre | 21 Comments

Lockdowns and privilege

Consider three graphs that really on their own tell the story of the groups in the US/UK that did well and that did badly economically out of the lockdowns. On the super-rich: On the workers, particularly the bottom 25% (meaning … Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Employment, Humour | 38 Comments

Lockdown cost-benefit analysis for Australia by Martin Lally

Martin Lally is a kiwi economist who late in 2020 decided to calculate for himself what his own country was losing by locking itself away from the world, coming to the conclusion that New Zealand was sacrificing something like 26 … Continue reading

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Death and taxes, Economics and public policy, Employment, Health, Politics - national, Science, Social Policy | 140 Comments