10 must read economics stories of the week

A list of some of the week’s most interesting stories on economic growth and social inclusion, including the Brexit fallout and why companies can no longer ignore the suffering middle classes.

1. Facts and figures. This chart visualises the changing spread of incomes in American jobs (1960 – 2014). (FLOWINGDATA)

2. Is the productivity slowdown due to a lack of innovation diffusion between firms? (Bruegel)

3. Raising the share of women in the labour force is an important way by which economies can be made more inclusive. Here is how Europe can make progress on this issue. (International Monetary Fund)

4. How can the American welfare state be re-vamped? (New America Foundation)

5. Companies can no longer ignore the suffering middle classes. “You can’t CSR your way out of this.” (Harvard Business Review)

6. A number of economists have pointed out that globalisation itself undermines political support for greater integration. Here is what they have to say. (The Economist)

7. Here is an early assessment of Brexit’s economic impact. (CBS News)

8. Businesses have recognised that the rising gulf between rich and poor is part of the story that explains the ‘Brexit’, as disillusioned voters turned their backs on the EU. Living standards of low- and middle-income families in the UK have stagnated for more than a decade. (The Guardian)

9. For what it’s worth, these three factors, in my opinion, could hold Europe together. (World Economic Forum)

10. In case you missed it. What are common perceptions of inequality? This infographic shows results from eight countries. (Bertelsmann Foundation)