Economics Explained

The phenomenon of brain drain is when the best and brightest workers from poor countries immigrate to rich countries in the pursuit of higher pay and living conditions. This can hinder the development of poor countries because many of their best workers leave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With GDP per capita of just $2 per day, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest, if not the poorest nation on Earth. However, this does not have to be the case. The country has massive deposits of rare earth minerals including Cobalt, which is an essential input to the production of lithium-ion batteries. The mineral resources are estimated to be worth $24 trillion. So why is the DRC so poor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada is banning foreign investors from buying homes for two years to address the pandemic-induced surge in home prices. Economists warn it could have long-term effects on the economy if not managed well. Other economies are closely watching Canada to see if the move pays off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out The Next Wave, Hubspot's AI podcast here: https://lnk.to/thenextwaveEE For decades now economists have been predicting that India would become an economic superpower, and in part, it has. India's workforce is younger than China's and wages are lower meaning they have been well placed to take low ticket manufacturing jobs from China. But could we expect to see India's economy grow and possibly even surpass China in the next decade? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pakistan's economy has recently come under pressure due to high levels of debt, currency devaluation, floods, and high prices for imported food and energy. So how bad are things likely to get and what are the possible solutions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bangladesh has a troubled past, but it has been in a great position to grow dramatically in much the same way that its neighbour China has done in the recent past. Bangladesh is still a highly labour intensive market which makes it a great place to get T-shirts made, but a number of factors have made it painfully slow to develop beyond that. Could Bangladesh change things to become the next China? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year's banking crisis in Silicon Valley, where three banks including Silicon Valley Bank failed, caused bank runs and put pressure on other banks like Credit Suisse. This is reminiscent of past US banking disasters such as the Great Depression and the 2008 recession. Many economists predict that more banks around the world will face similar pressures, so what are the causes and potential consequences of these failures? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://factormeals.com/eep50 and use code eep50 to get 50% off. The EU, a unique economic giant, acts similarly to the US federal government, hinting at a "United States of Europe" with its shared currency, policies, and trade deals among 27 states. Despite its near-federal structure, it lacks some federation benefits, posing issues for its members. With a $20 trillion output, second only to the USA, it wields significant global influence. However, its major economies face stagnant growth, mirroring challenges for smaller members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zimbabwe has not had the best past economically speaking. But what they do have is as much as 20% of the world's demand for lithium, the biggest deposits in Africa. So now that the raw lithium export ban has kicked in, and refining operations have started in Zimbabwe itself, will the country gain a massive advantage by exporting this incredibly necessary component of computers, electric cars and the internet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oil and GDP are closely linked together, with the more oil consumed by a country generally meaning the higher the GDP of that country. With that said, energy costs of solar, wind and other technologies have come down substantially in recent decades meaning that "clean" solar power is actually one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity over its lifespan. So why haven't we switched completely over to solar? Well, it's not that easy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head to https://factormeals.com/eep50 and use code eep50 to get 50% off. In this video we delve into Somalia's perilous economic situation after the government collapse in 1991, and reform in 2012. How are international relations, is there potential for recovery, and what lessons can we learn from this extreme economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greece became infamous for their economic stagnation following adoption of the Euro and subsequent over-spending and debt accumulation. But in recent years their economy has been improving and, while it isn't out of the woods yet, there have definitely been big improvements that are worth celebrating. Are they still broke, or will Greece's economy be an example to others how to recover from financial meltdown? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida is growing... fast. Actually faster than most other states, which is astounding given that it is already the fourth largest state economy in the US. This might sound like great news for Floridians and the USA at large, but is there a hidden cost behind Florida's rapid growth? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is perhaps no city more iconic in the world than New York City. But how does the economy of the incredibly densely packed and often struggling city survive now, and will this be the case for years to come? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What caused Detroit to lose 60% of it's population since 1950 and is there a way to help residents and industries in shrinking cities to have a better quality of life and work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Made in Germany" carries with ti a kind of prestige, and a marker of quality. Germany is famous for it's incredible engineering and manufacturing talent, but more and more this is becoming a thing of the past as overseas manufacturers start to build up their centres, and can produce on a scale that Germany just can't keep up with. Is this crisis going to end German manufacturing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Africa is the poorest continent in the world. There are, as always, a lot of factors to consider as to why that is the case, but recently Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson from MIT have released a study detailing the surprising bigger factors in why Africa still struggles to build wealth despite massive amounts of incoming aid and charity work trying to improve the lives of people there. So what are the reasons why much of Africa can't seem to get out of poverty? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We were lucky enough to talk with Prof. Asemoglu of MIT about why Africa lags economically despite so much aid and resources being pumped into the country each year. From the impact of institutions to the legacy of policies, we talked about the reasons behind the continent's challenges and the potential paths forward that might actually help improve living conditions in African nations within our lifetimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada has gone through a lot in the last 10 years, and one of the biggest problems is the price of housing. Canadian cities are in such a small area of the country's landmass and housing construction has not kept up with the population, so housing prices have skyrocketed. Canada now finds itself in a bit of a population trap, where they can't afford to keep bringing in more people and put even more strain on housing, but they also can't afford not to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What led to Lebanon's devastating economic crisis, causing a shrinking population and half of its GDP to vanish? Why did it collapse, and what are the implications for other developing nations facing similar challenges? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices