Podcasts related to Economics

There are concerns that companies could get workers to pay for the wage increase out of their own pockets, either by offering less hours or by reducing bonuses and perks that do not come out of direct wages. Charles Cotton, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, looks at the National Living Wage from a staff perspective.

The 1st of April is the day when some of the most watched economic figures are out. The Purchasing Managers Index will tell us whether Europe's and the worlds factories are busier or quieter than last month. John Elliott MBE, Founder and Chairman of Ebac, who are big in domestic dehumidifiers, joins Share Radio to give a true picture from the UK factory floor.

Investment Perspectives: Naomi Smith is London First's Europe Director. She leads their campaigning work to stay in the EU and joins Ed Mitchell on the line. The Tata steel story comes at a time of intensifying debate about the future of the UK in Europe. The questions were bound to be raised.. would Brexit help Britain's steel industry and does membership of the EU cause the problems in the first place? Naomi offers her analysis.

Investment Perspectives: There are many aspects and huge ramifications associated with the Tata steel saga but at the heart of the matter is selling the right quality steel, at the right price, to the right customer in the right place. Given that the UK, or indeed other European producers, will never be able to compete with the giant producers of China. The Focus may have to be on niche, high end production. For his views, Ed Mitchell of Investment Perspectives is joined on the line by Dominic King, Head of Policy at UK steel, the trade association for the British steel industry.

David Buik, Panmure Gordon's renowned business commentator, explained the main reason for the company's 'huge loss'. In a frank interview, David told Nigel Cassidy and Louise Cooper how regulation on goodwill was the major factor.

Boeing, the world's largest plane manufacturer, plans to cut thousands of jobs. So is this a sign that Boeing, and even the wider aerospace sector, is in trouble? Matt Cox spoke to aviation expert Julian Bray who offered his thoughts on the situation.

Once again, it's time for This Is Money. Editor Simon Lambert and Product Editor Laura Whitcombe from the award-winning site join Georgie Frost in the studio to discuss the biggest financial stories of the week. And of course, it's almost tax-time, and are you ready? Then, how to make sure your nest egg is secure and thriving. And finally, it's time for our Easter sweets taste-test, which of the supermarkets will come out on top?

Brazil is due to present its budget, but with GDP forecasts due to shrink by 4% for the second consecutive year, and the unemployment rate rising sharply, the country is struggling to deal with the end of the commodity boom. The biggest party in congress has now also voted to abandon President Dilma Rousseff’s ruling coalition. Robert Van Egghen looked into the country's struggles.

Clare Rayner, The Retail Champion and Founder of The Future High Street Summit, discusses the event, which embraces the belief that the high street is evolving. It’s returning for a third year, and Clare talks about the agenda and if the high street can compete with the likes of Amazon.

The Weeks Update: In the wake of the killings in Brussels a number of people were arrested, although on Monday a man charged with direct involvement, was released due to a lack of evidence. The challenge now is to track down other militants and break up existing IS cells before they strike again. That won't be easy since the exact number isn't known and - as Brussels illustrated - there will always be terrorist suspects who evade the intelligence gathering net, especially if sections of that net are already weak. Joining Investment Perspectives host Juliette Foster with more analysis is Sir David Omand, the former Director General of the government intelligence organisation GCHQ, and Professor John Weeks, Share Radio's regular economics commentator.