10 must-read economics stories of the week

Welcome to a curated list of this week’s most interesting stories on economic growth and social inclusion.

1. Brookings published its latest Metro Monitor, which shows that while economic growth is associated with greater inclusion in U.S. metropolitan areas (i.e., growing median wages, declining relative poverty, rising employment), this relationship is weak. (Brookings)

2. Walmart raised wages of low-income employees well beyond the minimum. (The Economist)

3. At the Wharton Africa Business Forum, three social entrepreneurs described their businesses and the issues they are grappling with. (Knowledge@Wharton)

4. What are the ingredients of sustainable economic growth? Michael Spence proposes what is needed to re-start the global economy. (Project Syndicate)

5. Ed Miliband argues that to tackle inequality, policies should not only focus on taxation and redistribution but also on the way that rewards of the economy are distributed in the first place. (London Review of Books)

6. A summary of the key issues in the US inequality debate. (Harvard Gazette)

7. Germany has bucked the trend and reduced inequality. What are the implications for growth? (In German, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung)

8. “Large numbers of the people feel disrespected and dispossessed. This can no longer be ignored”, writes Martin Wolf. (Financial Times)

9. What are the costs of re-establishing border controls in the Schengen area? They could cut the region's GDP by 0.8%. (France Stratégie)

10. In case you missed it: To what extent do family circumstances explain inequality? Almost a half in the US, says a recent paper. (Centre for European Economic Research)