Labour

The Exchange: Fewer bankers, more engineers needed

20 Apr 2021

That’s one of Jacques Attali’s many prescriptions to enhance the economy of life. The former EBRD boss and French presidential adviser also discusses Big Tech breakups, Europe’s lagging vaccination efforts, Macron’s political prospects and his plan to close the elite ENA.

Capital Calls: Goldman Sachs, U.S. currency report

16 Apr 2021

Concise views on global finance: The Wall Street bank’s communications veteran, Jake Siewert, goes back to the future, sort of; Taiwan is dubbed a forex interventionist but avoids manipulator label.

Capital Calls: BlackRock’s Archegos angle, SPACs

30 Mar 2021

Concise views on global finance in the Covid-19 era: The fallout from the collapse of Bill Hwang’s family office gives regulators reasons to focus on funds, not fund managers; and bosses of blank-check companies don’t take investor questions.

Review: “A World Without Email” is a long way off

26 Mar 2021

Tending to electronic communication takes a third of our working day, making us miserable and less productive, Cal Newport argues. Virtual to-do lists are useful hacks to regain control. Yet even if email is defeated, interruption by pervasive digital messages seems here to stay.

Capital Calls: New York, Allegro exit

17 Mar 2021

Concise views on global finance in the Covid-19 era: The Big Apple reigns in a new ranking of global cities, but the prize isn’t what it was; shareholders in Polish e-commerce group Allegro sell down early.

The Exchange: Will home working outlive Covid-19?

16 Mar 2021

The pandemic has relocated many office workers to their studies and dining tables. Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom tells Dasha Afanasieva that many companies will continue working from home two days a week. But allowing too much flexibility could bring diversity risks.

Capital Calls: Digital art

11 Mar 2021

Concise views on global finance in the Covid-19 era: A blockchain-protected work by Beeple sold for $69 million at Christie's.

Veolia gambles on Suez shareholder showdown

11 Mar 2021

The French group sweetened its 11.3 bln euros bid by pledging not to dismantle its target’s domestic waste and water business. Handing the unit to infrastructure fund Meridiam should reassure politicians and unions. All Suez CEO Bertrand Camus can do is haggle for a higher price.

Europe is now the main front in gig economy war

19 Feb 2021

Britain’s top court ruled that a group of Uber drivers are entitled to worker rights. Spain is also cracking down. It’s a stark contrast to America, where a California ballot win gave the sector hope. Tougher rules mean a longer path to profit – and higher prices for consumers.

Corona Capital: Music deals

26 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Warner Music may take a stake in the music business owned by Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Review: “Work Won’t Love You Back”, so compromise

22 Jan 2021

Sarah Jaffe explains how a devotion to jobs isn’t working for today’s employees. She’s right that loving your profession can mean forgoing salary, lifestyle or security. Inadvertently she makes the case for dropping the pursuit of purpose for good pay and a more balanced life.

Corona Capital: Indian banks, LBOs, Stellantis

18 Jan 2021

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Indian banking guru Aditya Puri gives reasons to be bullish about New Delhi’s lenders at a Breakingviews predictions event; the ECB cracks down on risky loans; carmaker Stellantis gets a boost from passive funds.

Guest view: Dislocation will be 2021’s buzzword

13 Jan 2021

Vaccine rollouts offer hope for a return to a pre-Covid normal. But disruptions to supply chains, credit markets and labour will be deep and unpredictable. Withdrawing support now creates costlier longer-term risks, the OECD’s Andrea Garnero and Muzinich’s Fabrizio Pagani write.

Corona Capital: Poverty, Beer cans, Budget hotels

24 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Hong Kong’s poverty problem was getting worse even before the virus struck; AB InBev sells the family aluminium to cut debt; Whitbread, owner of hotel chain Premier Inn, tries to get its landlords to share the pain.

The Franken-economy that will thrive post-pandemic

24 Dec 2020

The ideal nation to emerge from Covid-19 has South Korea’s superb internet connections and technology know-how. Like Singapore, robots are widely used in industry. And it boasts skilled workers to rival Switzerland, sells high-value exports to China, and leads on green energy.

Corona Capital: Peloton, BioNTech

22 Dec 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Peloton shareholders are getting a little too pumped up; BioNTech’s boss gives two reasons not to panic about the latest Covid-19 strain.

Volkswagen pact helps CEO more than returns

15 Dec 2020

The German carmaker has made a statement in support of boss Herbert Diess, allowing him to appoint key allies and cut some costs as it moves to electric cars. The agreement should end a long-running dispute with unions. Investors hoping for higher returns face a lengthier wait.

VW boss dilemma is about more than Herbert Diess

1 Dec 2020

The $90 bln carmaker’s CEO wants a contract extension beyond 2023. Diess is gaffe-prone but has the right strategy for moving to electric vehicles and extracting efficiencies. His contract debate is a proxy for whether VW’s board can face down unions trying to muddle that shift.

Corona Capital: Scotland, EU impasse, Amazon

27 Nov 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Scottish independence gets a viral shot in the arm; Poland and Hungary take a united stand on the European Union’s recovery fund; and the online retail giant delivers a modicum of Christmas cheer to workers.

UK economy beds down for slow, sluggish recovery

25 Nov 2020

Finance minister Rishi Sunak is set to hike borrowing to 394 bln pounds to pay for the pandemic. New savings from foreign aid and freezing public sector pay will do little to help the economy that is only set to grow 5.5% next year. A no-deal Brexit would make matters worse.