A new discussion paper by Ernest Boffy-Ramirez at the IZA, a German trade union-backed think tank, shows that increases in minimum wages were not correlated with higher unemployment in four U.S. states that raised wages.
Top Page Links
Men can literally turn a profit on paternity benefit in Slovakia
Paternity leave and paid benefits actually allow new fathers to turn a profit in Slovakia, according to Radovan Ďurana at INESS. He argues this shows a social insurance system fundamentally out of whack (original in Slovakian).
State-funded anti-market advocacy on the rise: IEA
A new report from the IEA notes the rise of state-funded anti-market advocacy groups across the EU, Wales and Scotland. England is the only place where state funding for anti-market groups is decreasing.Full details here.
“Radical but necessary reform” to UK housing economy
The Institute for Public Policy Research, self-proclaimed the UK’s leading progressive think tank, proposes a “radical but necessary” reform to the system governing the residential rental marketplace. Suggestions span landlord tax reform, introduction of mandatory open-ended tenancy, wider access to legal aid, and easing of rules about pets, among others. The full report is available […]
You GO, momicheta! Bulgaria leads the way in gender work equality
As wryly noted in the introduction to the Bulgarian Institute for Free Market’s post on gender equality, the country is usually noteworthy for ending up at the bottom of most European measures. However, Bulgaria leads in one key area: gender work equality, as reflected in wages and workforce participation, among other measures. […]
“Something deeply wrong” with UK housing benefit spending
The UK’s public spending on housing benefit, which helps low-income families with housing costs, is out of control, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Paul Johnson notes that the government spent £22 billion a year on the benefit, double what it was in the early 2000s. Alongside soaring housing prices and collapsing rates of […]
Austria NEEDS a productivity reboot
Most developed countries have seen their productivity growth slow in recent years, but the problem is especially acute in Austria, Klaus Weyerstrauss of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna points out, due to the country’s lack of natural resources and already high wages. Weyerstrauss outlines a number of key policies to boost productivity growth.
French public finances in peril
As if Emmanuel Macron needed any more headaches, French public finances remain in a perilous state, warns the Institut Molinari. France could fall into the same trap as other countries with high debts, as debt service eats into social spending.
Public sector “under work” costs France E1.5B
Surprise, surprise, the public sector is a powerful source of inefficiency in France (as elsewhere). “Under-work” or underemployment by public sector workers — read, absenteeism and loafing — costs France E1.5B according to iFRAP.
The South China Sea, a UK interest?
The Henry Jackson Society explains why the South China Sea, where the Royal Navy has recently conducted freedom of navigation operations, remains a vital British interest.