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Low-income workers are almost twice as likely to be laid-off or furloughed as high-income workers, according to a new UCL study examining income and consumption effects of Covid-19. The working paper, published by Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research , highlights that a significant proportion of those low-income workers - 70 percent from the bottom fifth of the income distribution - have struggled to afford living costs.

Oil is the most effective natural resource when it comes to keeping despots in power, new research shows. Oil is a more useful resource for rulers looking to hold onto power than minerals such as copper, nickel or zinc but its' benefits are felt most strongly more than a decade after a discovery is made, according to new research led by the University of Sussex Business School.

Manufacturers must redesign and reform their Global Supply Chains or Global Production Networks (GPN) if they want to survive and prosper in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study reveals. The virus' impact demonstrates that global manufacturing concerns must switch from large production sites in a single location, such as China, to numerous smaller facilities around the world to reduce business risk.

A cautious approach to easing lockdown restrictions that reduces the risk of later lockdowns may be better for the global supply chain in the long run, according to a new modelling study led by UCL and Tsinghua University. The paper, published today in Nature Human Behaviour , is the first peer-reviewed study to comprehensively assess potential global supply chain effects of Covid-19 lockdowns, modelling the impact of lockdowns on 140 countries, including countries not directly affected by Covid-19.

Green policies such as increasing use of renewable energy and investing in electric vehicles should be at the heart of Government recovery plans after the Covid-19 crisis, according to a briefing paper co-authored by Professor Paul Ekins (UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources). The document, put together by the COP26 Universities Network of which UCL is a member, draws on new research assessing the economic and climate impact of taking a green route out of the crisis.

Low income workers in developing countries face a higher risk of income loss during the Covid-19 lockdown as it is less possible to conduct their jobs from home, suggests a new study from UCL, Bank of Thailand, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and GRIPS, Tokyo. The study, published in  Covid Economics: Vetted and Real-Time Papers , used Thailand as a case study but the findings are highly relevant for other countries with similar labour market structures - specifically, those with a large share of self-employment and low social safety net.

The worst thing for the economy would be not acting at all to prevent disease spread, followed by too short a lockdown, according to research based on US data. Taking no action is unacceptable from public health perspective, and extremely risky from an economic perspective Giancarlo Corsetti There is much debate over the economic costs of our lockdown lives: whether the price of disease mitigation is worth the risk of an enduring financial crisis.

New data shows women and people who did not go to university are more likely to have lost work and earnings since mid-March. Of all those still employed, 32% of people in the UK and 37% of people in the US believe they will lose their jobs in the next few months Christopher Rauh Women on both sides of the Atlantic are more likely to have lost their jobs or suffered a fall in earnings since the coronavirus pandemic took hold - even after accounting for differences in types of occupation, a new study suggests.

Researchers find a gender gap in job loss probabilities even after controlling for education and occupation type. They also find a gender gap in hours of childcare during the pandemic. Of all those still employed, 32% of people in the UK and 37% of people in the US believe they will lose their jobs in the next few months Christopher Rauh Women on both sides of the Atlantic are more likely to have lost their jobs or suffered a fall in earnings since the coronavirus pandemic took hold - even after accounting for differences in types of occupation, a new study suggests.

Almost one and a half billion spending transactions reveal "real time" reactions of consumers in a major western economy during the nation's peak pandemic period. Within a big city, inequality in disease burden appears to be linked to inequality in economic burden Vasco Carvalho A new analysis of 1.4 billion credit and debit card transactions during the first three months of 2020 show that spending in Spain post-lockdown was an average of 49% lower than the same date the previous year.

In addition, those on low incomes are more likely to have lost jobs or pay, and less able to complete work tasks from home. Researchers warn the COVID-19 downturn is likely to "increase inequality between young and old". The immediate impact of the coronavirus downturn on workers has been large and unequal Christopher Rauh Workers under the age of thirty, as well as those on lower incomes, on both sides of the Atlantic are already bearing the brunt of the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, latest research finds.

In addition, those on low incomes are more likely to have lost jobs or pay, and less able to complete work tasks from home. Researchers warn the COVID-19 downturn is likely to "increase inequality between young and old". The immediate impact of the coronavirus downturn on workers has been large and unequal Christopher Rauh Workers under the age of thirty, as well as those on lower incomes, on both sides of the Atlantic are already bearing the brunt of the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, latest research finds.

Instead, building damage at a given flood depth is highly variable and can be characterized by a beta distribution. When calculating flood risk - that is, translating modelled representations of the physical of phenomenon of flooding to its impacts - it is common to apply a 'depth-damage function' or curve, which relates a given water depth to a proportional building loss (for example one metre of water equals 50 per cent loss of building value).

The introduction of the minimum wage for the first time in Germany in 2015 drove workers from smaller to larger and more productive businesses that pay higher wages, according to a UCL and Institute for Employment Research (IAB) Nuremberg study. The study, published as a CReAM discussion paper, is the most comprehensive analysis of the wider implications of Germany's minimum wage policy.

A visit by the Pope can renew sufficient religious observance among Italian women to withhold sex from their partners for more than a year afterwards, a new University of Sussex study shows. Papal visits to Italian provinces lead to a subsequent decrease in abortions of up to 20% with its impact felt for up to 14 months after, new research by economists Dr Vikram Pathania and Dr Egidio Farina has revealed.

Female MPs are roughly 20% more vocal in parliamentary debates where the cabinet minister is female than when the responsible minister is male, finds a new study by UCL. The research, published in the British Journal of Political Science , is the first to consider whether female leadership affects the processes or outcomes of political debate.

One in three people commit "financial infidelity", with potentially toxic consequences for their relationships, according to a study co-led by UCL which is thought to be the first to investigate the concept. Romantic relationships are built on trust, but partners are not always honest about their financial behaviour - they often hide spending, debt, and savings from one another.

A new study by scientists from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the University of Bristol and flood analytics company Fathom, seeks to answer an important question related to flooding in the United States - pay now to protect undeveloped areas that are likely to flood in the future or allow developments to go ahead and pay for damage when it occurs.

Government leaders must set a good example to the business community if they want to eliminate corporate corruption, a new study reveals. Financial incentives and criminal punishment will not root out corrupt business practices, but a government culture of honesty, integrity and strong leadership could help to cure corruption.

Climate change expert Professor Sir David Hendry will explore how humanity has accelerated global warming when he delivers the annual China Institute Li Siguang lecture at the University of Birmingham on Wednesday 20th November. And his talk 'Climate Change in the Long Run' will illustrate how climatologists, volcanologists, dendrochronologists, meteorologists, geophysicists and health scientists are working together to tackle climate change and its consequences.