Wednesday 27 March 2013

Most Wanted!

What are the most in demand jobs currently around the world? More and more people are migrating but which countries are demanding which jobs? Check out the chart by following the link. Consider why the wage rate may be so high for these jobs using demand and supply of labour.

Britain Without London

What would Britain be like without London? It is the financial hub of the country with a large proportion of GDP generated by the capital alone. Stephanie Flanders investigates this interesting scenario.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Scoop It - Global Economy

As part of your Easter Buddy work here is the link to all the great stories that form part of your wide reading for the global economy pre-release case study.

Monday 25 March 2013

Kit Kat Recall

Nestle has recalled four Kit Kat Chunky variants and an Easter egg after seven shoppers found pieces of plastic in the product. With just a week to go till Easter this is a massive dent in the consumer confidence and highlights issues of quality control and reputation.

Sumly Sold For £1M

An app created by a UK teenager has been acquired by web giant Yahoo in a deal that is understood to be worth "dozens of millions" of pounds. 

Budget Calculator

Almost a week since George Osborne delivered his budget for 2013. However after the dust has settled and policies have been analysed how does it all fit together? Find out more by checking out the link below.

Cyprus Bailout

Cyprus struck a last-minute bailout deal aimed at preventing the island becoming the first country forced out of the single European currency. Find out more about this story by following the link below.

Understanding Economics...

Excellent cartoon which helps us explain how we need to be able to make the links between causes and consequences that occur in Economics.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Responsible Car Owners Only

Volvo eye 'responsible' car buyers as it looks to the future with its new models that will differentiate themselves from gas guzzling rivals. Will they gain the same first mover advantage that maybe AS plc are trying to gain?

Bentley Drives Out Of UK

Bentley may assemble its next new model in Bratislava, Slovakia. It would be the first time a new Bentley model would not be made in its factory at crew. Consider how this may link to the AS plc case study scenario? Why would they move?

Monday 18 March 2013

A Decade of Rot?

As mentioned in class Zombie Britain is a series of small films as apart of Channel 4 news and their build up to the budget. If you haven't managed to catch them then read up here on what Faisal Islam has to say on what he calls a decade of rot for the UK economy. Even better you can follow Faisal on twitter @faisalislam

What If Everyone Had A Car?

There are more than a billion cars in the world today - and by the middle of the century there could be up to four times as many, as the growing middle classes of countries like India, China and Brazil seek the freedom and status car ownership appears to offer.

Sunday 17 March 2013

Tax Cuts To Solve Crisis?

We can't spend our way out of economic crisis. But we can cut taxes. The consensus is against austerity but throwing money at the problem is not the answer. Fiscal stimulus can come from tax breaks too. Great reading for AS economists about some concepts of policy and AD/AS. Can you draw the diagrams?

Bigger No Longer Better

Supermarkets sense that size may no longer be key to conquering universe as Tesco finds its mega stores are a waste of space and Morrisons make a late bid to get online as grocers adapt to new habits. Excellent ideas behind economies and diseconomies of scale here! Follow the link below.

Expensive Taste

The world of luxury lives despite the global recession. Check out some of the items of the website BornRich which include the world's most expensive shirt made of 22-karat gold which would cost you $235,000. Think about the level of quality and skill required to be able to charge these amounts but also the customers which are paying for them.

Thursday 14 March 2013

If You Were Chancellor...

The chancellor will announce his fourth Budget on Wednesday 20th March at 12:30. This will set out the government's fiscal policy and plan of spending for the next few years. If you were chancellor what would you be considering?

Austerity In A World Awash With Money

What is holding Britain back from a stronger recovery is that there simply isn't enough demand in the economy. Great article for AS Economists to read!

Still Racing Ahead

China is now the world's second-largest market for "premium" cars and it estimates that China will surpass America by 2020 to become the world's biggest consumer. Essential reading for students studying the AS Plc case study!

Sweet Move By Heinz

Heinz has launched a sweet chilli tomato ketchup on Facebook this week. It is being sold in a cloth jacket designed by pop artist Orla Walsh, and will be available in two designs - limited to 557 copies of each - varieties! Lots going on here in terms of marketing, branding & endorsement...but will it be a success?

Tuesday 12 March 2013

E-Books In...Champagne Out

Office for National Statistics notes recent increases in the number of people reading books digitally as it adds ebooks to the new basket of goods.

Budget 2013 Coverage

With almost a week to go the excitement for all economists about the budget 2013 is beginning to build. Keep up to date on all things budget through the link below. This is essential stuff for AS Economists.

Chancellor's Rebalancing Act

When George Osborne became chancellor in 2010, he didn't only want to fix the hole in the public finances he wanted to also balance out the economy. But what has he actually achieved?

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Secrets Of The Shops

9 tricks that shops use to get you to spend more. Convincing shoppers to part with more cash can be as simple as putting the price in red or tucking everyday items at the back of stores. Read through the article and see how many you have fallen for!

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Luxury In Recession

Brilliant resource for Year 11 students looking at the AS Plc. pre-release as the BBC takes a look around at all the luxury cars that are being put on show at the Geneva motor show. Can these companies continue survive selling luxury model cars in such a harsh economic climate?

Monday 4 March 2013

Best Job In The World

Tourism Australia is reviving one of its most successful PR and advertising strategies - the "Best Job In The World" competition. The tourist board is now building on the initiative with a new campaign based on offering six very alluring jobs paid in the region of £67,000 each for six months. All to aim to encourage the younger tourist to travel to Australia and work & promote their visit to others.

10 Steps To Kick-start The UK Economy

A very interesting article written by the guardians Mark Serwotka who offers a 10-point plan to boost the economy in the public interest, in place of the government's failing approach. Have a read and at the end you can vote to see if you agree.

Harlem Shake & Fired

Up to 15 miners have been fired for performing the dance craze 'harlem shake' underground in an Australian gold mine, according to reports. The stunt breached "core values of safety, integrity and excellence". Have the firm acted correctly here or is this unfair dismissal?

How Prices Changed Over 30 Years

The price of a pint has jumped from 73p to £3.18 in a survey that highlights the falling value of money. Check out how other prices have faired over the past 30 years and how purchasing power has been crushed by the spiralling costs of everyday living.