Readers Question: Can someone please tell me what percent of the UK debt is held by the Bank of England? The Bank of England have purchased £325 bn of asset purchases, which are financed by issuing created reserves. Of these £325bn of assets, the vast majority are government gilts (bonds). The government’s net public sector …
The new French President Francois Holland has cut the country’s retirement age. For workers who begin work at 18, they will now be able to retire at 60 (cut from 62) The move is controversial given the state of the French and European economy. He cites social justice as the reason for cutting the retirement …
Readers Question:Do you really think the UK will keep the AAA credit rating for say the next 2 years? The UK is one of the few countries to have a AAA credit rating. (list of countries with highest credit rating) I’ve always felt that the UK should be able to maintain its AAA credit rating …
Readers Question: What is the impact of debt on the housing market in the UK? If the UK is in such a debt crisis, what impact has this had on the housing market. Firstly, a debt crisis could imply both government debt and household debt. The UK is facing a combination of both (see: total …
The BBC have this infographic about what happens if Greece leaves the Euro. Source: BBC But, when I look at this. Everything has already happened. Greece is already in recession. It has been in recession for past 5 years. Greece already has bank runs. Multinationals are not keeping money in Greek banks Due to unemployment …
The election of Francois Holland as French president is important for changing the dynamics of the EU. There is currently a strong acceptance of the need for continued austerity and fiscal targets. However, under the weight of soaring unemployment, European voters are becoming increasingly disenchanted with this recipe for low growth and high unemployment. But, …
One of the great challenges facing Europe is the persistence and increase in levels of unemployment. The highest rates of youth unemployment are in Spain (51%) and Greece (51%). Other countries include Italy 35%, France 21%, UK 21%, Portugal 36% Youth Unemployment in the UK This shows how youth unemployment in UK has increased since …
We have frequently heard the statement that we are experiencing the worst recession since the 1930s, but data released from the ONS shows that the fall in GDP is actually more prolonged in the current 2008-12 recession than the Great Depression of the 1930s. source: Office of National Statistics (pdf): In terms of human misery …