Economics in business

PwC UK

4.5 (4)
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A PwC podcast series in which our economics experts discuss the UK and global macroeconomic outlook and what this means for businesses.

12/19/2025

Businesses, Budgets and Beyond: Looking ahead to 2026 - Ep33

In this final PwC Economics in Business Podcast of 2025, PwC UK Economics Leader Simon Oates and UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian take stock after the dust has settled on the UK Budget. They unpack what a thicker fiscal headroom really signals for economic stability and how recent policy changes are reshaping business decisions and the labour market as firms look ahead to 2026. Barret also shares some of his economic predictions for next year, from US monetary policy and tariffs to the risk of an AI-driven market revaluation.

14 min
10/31/2025

Caution Takes the Wheel: Households Save, Debt Mounts, Choices Narrow - Ep32

With households saving more and uncertainty rising, UK growth remains mediocre. In this episode from the PwC Economics team, Barret Kupelian Chief Economist and Andy Haldane Special Advisor speak to Simon Oates, UK Economics Leader on their latest thoughts on the economy, why households are saving and weigh on the Chancellor's high-level fiscal options for the Autumn Budget. They are also joined by Fatos Koc from the OECD on a fascinating discussion on global public debt levels.

31 min
06/27/2025

Unlocking UK Growth: From Wages to Productivity with Simon Oates, Barret Kupelian & Andy Haldane - Ep31

Hosted by Simon Oates, Leader of Economics at PwC UK, this episode of Economics in Business brings you a data-driven exploration of the UK economy’s brightest levers and its toughest hurdles. Join Simon as he challenges: Barret Kupelian, PwC’s Chief Economist UK, on why real wages are rising faster than wallets feel—and what it means for consumer demand. Andy Haldane, PwC Special Advisor and former Bank of England Chief Economist, on the sharp contrast between sluggish goods exports and booming services—and the policy choices ahead. Together, they dissect: Rising pay packets vs. muted spendingThe goods vs. services export boomBritain’s decade long productivity puzzle

39 min
03/21/2024

Women in Work 2024 - Ep30

While women's participation in labour markets is increasing, they continue to face pay disparities compared to men. In this episode, host Ellie Golden is joined by Alia Qamar and Yashi Chowdhary, Economists at PwC, to dive deeper into the findings of the Women in Work 2024 report. The speakers outline the standout findings, the drivers of the gender pay gap in the UK, and why this is so important.

10 min
11/15/2023

UK Economic Outlook - Ep29

Are we out of the woods yet? In this podcast, Ellie Golden hosts our UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian, along with Jake Finney, a manager in our Economics team, to discuss their views on the macroeconomic outlook and the reports special article, which offers a holistic evaluation on undergraduate degrees. The speaker's outline their views on GDP growth, the outlook on headline inflation and what recent geopolitical developments could mean for domestic prices in the UK.

13 min
06/20/2023

The future of free school meals - Ep28

Free school meals can have a great impact on both children and wider society. Join us as we discuss the potential expansion of free school meals in England, looking at who currently receives them, what the potential benefits to children and society are from expanding this policy, and what we expect to happen next.

19 min
05/02/2023

Using behavioural economics to help your employees adopt new workplace technologies - Ep27

Overall success is heavily dependent on effective employee adoption, and without this, businesses struggle to see the true benefits of their time and financial investments. So, what insights can behavioural economics provide to help navigate change and get good habits to stick? And how did we apply these insights in practice to drive an 81% increase in employee adoption of technology within 2 months?

22 min
11/30/2022

Women in work: making the transition to net zero fair for all - Ep26

Action on net zero is a central tenet of governments, businesses and policy makers around the world, but what are the implications for women in the workplace? What lessons have we learned from COVID-19 that we can carry forward to make sure all women, especially those with childcare responsibilities and those from ethnic minorities, are better placed for the transition to net zero? In this episode, host Vayana Skabrin is joined by Priyanka Kanani and Divya Sridhar, Economists at PwC, to dive deeper into some of the more social and environmental angles of the 10th Women in Work Index.

16 min

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4.5

out of 5

4 Ratings

Relevant and insightful, in just a few minutes

11/20/2018

Sethmonus

This is a fantastic series that gift wrap at insight into some very hot topics threw the economics lens. Host and guest are very good at making the topics understandable and relevant.