In The News

Malaysia Depends on Foreign Workers: Asia Sentinel

Murray Hunter December 10, 2019
Malaysia relies on a broad mix of foreign workers. The nation’s median age approaches 30, the fertility rate dips below replacement levels, and foreign workers often do the work that many citizens reject, from cleaning to construction and warehouse work. Unofficial estimates suggest as many as 6 million foreign workers represent more than 18 percent of Malaysia’s population and up to 40 percent...

China Needs More Babies: Caixin

James Liang December 8, 2019
China’s fertility rate has barely budged even though the government has loosened its one-child policy for families. Population is linked to economic growth yet uncertainty combined with a rising living standard and cultural acceptance of small families contribute to the trends. China’s fertility rate is 1.8 children per women, below the 2.1 replacement rate. The nation posted 17 million births in...

Global Pension Crisis: Financial Times

Josephine Cumbo and Robin Wigglesworth November 26, 2019
Since the financial crisis in 2008, many central banks have implemented easier monetary policies and other tools to stimulate economic growth. Due to those efforts, the interest rates have dropped in many countries, in turn reducing investment gains and swelling debt of pension funds. In some extreme cases, such as Sweden and Switzerland, the central bank policy rate falls below zero, or negative...

Why Billions Do Not Have Glasses: BBC

Tim Harford November 23, 2019
As many as 2.5 billion people worldwide need but do not have eyeglasses. The Vision Council of America suggests that 75 percent of adults need eyeglasses to read, drive and work. Glasses, often taken for granted in developed nations, support worker productivity and safety. Yet millions worldwide lack access to eyewear. “And many of those people may have no idea glasses could help them,” explains...

Global Minimum Corporate Tax Rate: Financial Times

Chris Giles November 10, 2019
Multinationals can sell products and services in more than 200 nations, and many, especially big technology firms, shift profits across borders to minimize tax bills. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which represents democracies, is reviewing global tax policies: one recommendation would allow countries to tax operations even if the companies have no physical presence,...

Four-Day Workweek Boosts Productivity: Japan Times

Kazuaki Nagata November 9, 2019
Companies could save money by trying a four-day workweek, sharpening employee focus while providing more time for home life. Microsoft tested a four-day workweek for one month in Japan and discovered that productivity increased among sales staff by 40 percent. The experiment did not reduce pay, and every Friday in August was a paid holiday. Management also asked workers to communicate more over...

Ethical Minefield of Microchipping: Spiegel

Kristina Läsker October 28, 2019
Thousands of people in Sweden, Germany, the UK and the US have agreed to implant microchips embedded in glass tubes the size of a rice grain in their bodies. For travel conglomerate TUI staff volunteers in Stockholm, the chip allows them to open doors and other electronic locks and activate printers. Employees assume risks. TUI is based in Germany, where such a workplace plan is described as a “...