Economics and International Affairs Blog

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Africa Can’t Afford to Squander Its Demographic Opportunity
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/africa/africa-cant-afford-squander-its-demographic-opportunity
What the Youngest Continent Stands to Gain from Growing Old.

What’s the Value of an Hour?
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/whats-the-value-of-an-hour
If the world seems to waste our time, it’s partly because we view time itself as a resource to be extracted and optimized.

India’s Private University Graduates Are Left Jobless and in Debt
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/business/india-private-university-debt.html
Families are betting their savings on private universities as a path to a better life. A shortage of well-paying work is turning that wager into frustration.

500,000 Applicants, 583 Jobs: The Frantic Scramble for Work in India
https://www.wsj.com/world/india/500-000-applicants-583-jobs-the-frantic-scramble-for-work-in-india-0fefa2b3
Many of the South Asian country’s youth face epic odds in trying to find good jobs, a challenge that is a growing political and economic problem.

As Inflation Eats Up Pay Gains, Workers Fall Behind
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/business/inflation-worker-pay.html
When prices spiked in 2021-22, wages failed to keep up for many workers, new research shows. Now the pattern is repeating.

Why Big Tech’s AI Spending Is $3 Trillion Higher Than It Seems
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/why-big-techs-ai-spending-is-3-trillion-higher-than-it-seems-e1067bb2
Massive spending commitments for data-center leases and chips aren’t shown on companies’ balance sheets.

Investment gains at Alphabet and Amazon reveal a new way in which technology
companies’ fortunes are increasingly linked.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/business/ai-tech-profits.html

Central Banks Are Stuck in a Rinse-and-Repeat Cycle of Crises
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/central-banks-are-stuck-in-a-rinse-and-repeat-cycle-of-crises-47da47e9
By becoming market makers of last resort, policymakers are pumping up leverage and risk.

Have misguided policies led to recent asset bubbles and boom-bust cycles? BY VIVEKANAND JAYAKUMAR, The Hill - 02/16/21
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/538921-have-misguided-policies-led-to-recent-asset-bubbles-and-boom-bust-cycles/

Are You a Human?
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/08/17/are-you-a-human
From branding irons to iris scans, the ancient business of proving who you are has never been stranger—or more lucrative.