Economica Remote work reshapes where workers spend time, impacting local personal service demand in England and Wales. A 20% drop in commuting leads to a 7% LPS spending fall. City centres see the largest spending reductions, while increases are widespread. Less affluent areas see fewer remote work benefits.

European Journal of Political Economy The study evaluates the influence of political parties on local fiscal policy in England and Wales from 1998-2015. It found that no party affected any aspect of fiscal policy, likely due to central government constraints.

Nature Scientific Reports This study uses Bayesian Model Averaging to address the challenge of identifying which factors best explain cross-country variation in Covid-19 excess mortality. We find a key role for the quality of government.

Oxford Economic Papers A new economic gender inequality (EGI) measure uses national labour income ratios. EGI equivalent to a billion women unpaid by 2017, driven by gender participation gaps. Asia and Africa see higher EGIs than Europe/Americas. Growth alone won’t bridge the most extreme gaps.

Oxford Review of Education This paper examines how Generative AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, may enhance or challenge the traditional social functions of educational assessment through the lens of competence, competition, content, and control.

Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics We provide new evidence on the extent to which changes in inequality reflect changes in demographics. Recent increases have been in spite of favourable demographic conditions.

Journal of Public Economics Many countries have witnessed periods of political de-polarization as well as periods of polarization. This paper shows that this can be rationalised in a dynamic model of political competition with voter loss-aversion and imperfect recall.

Nature Scientific Reports FGM, affecting 200 million women, remains a substantial factor in child mortality. Data from 1990-2020 reveals a 50% FGM increase elevates the 5-year mortality by 0.075pp, leading to an extra 44,320 deaths yearly. FGM is thus a leading cause of deaths where practiced.

Victims & Offenders Analysis of Kenya’s medico-legal referral pathway for sexual/domestic violence shows survivor age and forensic evidence as key predictors for case progression. The results reflect cultural perceptions and can guide policies to strengthen the referral pathway.

Journal of Development Effectiveness In Ethiopia, industrial policy showed limited benefits. Using manufacturing data, we found subsidies didn’t enhance productivity and only raised fungible assets. Tax breaks improved productivity but decreased capital, underscoring the importance of stability and bankruptcy protection.