Experts Matter. Find Yours.
Connect for media, speaking, professional opportunities & more.
Inflation: Simple Causes But a Complicated Cure JULY 2022 We face a wave of strikes, intended to restore the purchasing power of wages in face of inflation. But strikes cannot succeed in restoring everyone’s purchasing power. In the near term, inflation’s impact on living standards can be significantly mitigated only by importing more and so increasing our trade deficit, financed by foreign borrowing. Unwillingness to do that means we are likely to prolong the wave of strikes and so suffer a bruising recession created by restrictive monetary policy. This will cause yet more damage to living standards. However, debt-funded importing of consumption items in order to maintain living standards is poor policy longer-term. It can’t stop the harmful redistribution effects of inflation that are already emerging. Most important, it doesn’t address the longstanding source of our lagging living standards – too little economic growth and economic resilience due to our failure to grow productivity. Without increased productivity, debt-funded consumption repair will cumulate to tomorrow’s fiscal crisis. Therefore, we face a very difficult policy challenge. We must act to support living standards over the next year or two, mitigate the social problems that inflation is already causing and, simultaneously, divert our priorities (and our continuing borrowing) to foster much improved productivity growth. Causes This is a simple story. Today’s inflation demonstrates that we are poorer than we were three years ago. The value of what we, collectively, produce and earn, has shrunk, relative to the cost of the things that we seek to consume. Inflation constricts our consumption options to what we can now afford. We are poorer for two reasons. First, because we produce and earn less domestically, and second, because the things that we don’t produce but import have become scarcer, forcing us to pay more to get them. • Brexit caused an immediate and seemingly permanent devaluation of Sterling, raising the costs of everything that we import. It also seemingly permanently reduced our exports to the EU, our largest trading partner. No new trade possibilities are similar in scale, so there is a long-term loss of income. Moreover, increased non-tariff barriers have raised the cost of imports from the EU beyond the exchange rate effect. • The pandemic has reduced the worldwide supply of all sorts of goods, therefore raising their prices. This is due to supply chain problems, the zero-Covid China lockdown, the reduction in UK output because a significant portion of the population is out with Covid at any time. Crops are left rotting in the fields because there aren’t enough domestic agricultural workers and, of course, no more EU farm workers. • The war in Ukraine has escalated the costs of energy and food grains. In the future it will propel redirection of domestic resources to the production of war material, which is not edible. Consequences Inflation not only makes us, collectively, poorer, it differentially distributes the pain. • Everyone in the UK could go on strike to try to raise their wages enough to maintain their real consumption. But as the pie has shrunk, that is impossible. The extra money people get will simply chase the same, smaller amount available and the prices of goods and services will rise further. If the ensuing price rises provoke further wage increases, we chase our tails. This is the wage/price spiral that the Bank of England fears. • Some groups have more wage bargaining power than others. Perhaps the railway unions can indeed hold the country to ransom and regain their purchasing power. But then others, less empowered than railway workers, will become greater losers. • Inflation causes a flight to real assets – houses, commodities – whose values float up with the price level. Because ownership of real assets is very unequally distributed, the asset-rich minority is likely to come out better than before while the asset-poor majority lose even more. The purchasing power of people living on fixed-return assets such as retirement annuities would be devastated by a wage/price spiral. Similarly, as interest rates rise with the price level (or even faster if the Bank of England has its way), debtors on floating rate loans will be hit hard. • Different geographic areas have different mixes of people who would be gainers and losers from a wage/price spiral, exacerbating our substantial regional inequalities. Cure Part 1: Near-Term Mitigation How is it possible to offset the fall in current consumption which is provoking the wage/price spiral? People can consume more than they earn only by borrowing. The key is how that borrowing is undertaken. Households could borrow from private UK lenders, or the state could sell bonds to UK citizens and give the proceeds to other UK citizens to spend. But if all they can spend it on is the total value of UK output, that pie is shrinking. More money from borrowing would only raise prices, that is, add to inflation. Total UK consumption can exceed the value of UK output only if the extra is imported. Because the imports are paid for in another currency, borrowing to pay for those imports must be borrowing from foreign sources. The debt (public and private) that the UK owes others must rise by the value of the excess consumption. However, consuming more today by adding to our overseas debt isn’t a miracle cure. • Not everything can be imported. Domestic services of all types are provided, well, domestically. GP visits and houses and hotel rooms and haircuts will cost more as a result of wage inflation, no matter the amount of net foreign borrowing. These price increases will continue to provide some impetus to a wage/price spiral and make it more likely that the Bank of England will end up pushing the economy into recession to stop it. • The problem with debt is that you have to pay it back, and in the meantime, you pay interest on it. More consumption today means surrendering a greater amount of potential consumption in the future. Only if there is strong UK productivity growth will this foreign debt repayment not cause significant future trouble. Sadly, the UK has lagged in productivity growth among advanced economies for many years. Cure Part 2: A More Productive Economy The policy most likely to maintain social cohesion in the near term, and greater prosperity in the longer term, is a tricky two-step. We need to borrow to defend most people’s consumption in the next year or two, but then switch the budget to support growth and productivity-enhancing investment. Unless we do this, our debt repayment obligations will grow to unmanageable levels and meanwhile our level of consumption will continue to shrink relative to that of our peers. Our political system has not been good at tricky two-steps. It can manage short-term stimulus, funded by debt. But for decades the UK has failed to invest sufficiently in physical, technological and human capital to create productivity comparable to our peers. The inflation crisis is a call to action. Not only to mitigate current deterioration in living standards but to build a modern economy that sustains rising living standards into the future.
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement is costly, what does the UK need to do? | Aston Angle
As far as trade is concerned, the EU exit has been rather costly to the UK. At the Centre for Business Prosperity, we have been tracking the performance of UK trade in recent years. The UK’s trade dropped sharply during COVID. Like other nations, this was due to the global recession and supply chain disruptions. However, the UK failed to recover and enjoy the boom, despite the tariff-free terms of trade in goods set out in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The UK now trades less with the EU, its largest trading partner, than in 2019. During the same period, Germany and the Netherlands grew trade with the EU by nearly a quarter, and US trade with the EU has also grown considerably. Reports suggest, including those from the British Chambers of Commerce, that exporting to the EU has become much more costly and in some cases, unviable. It appears that the “certainty” provided by the TCA has not reversed the declining trend of the UK-EU trade so far. Our new paper for the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) has found that UK exports experienced a large, negative, statistically significant decline in 2021 at the end of the transition after the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was put into force. We estimate that this amounts to a 22% reduction in exports to the EU and a 26% reduction in imports from the EU over the first half of 2021, relative to the counterfactual scenario of the UK remaining in the EU. How did this happen? After all, the TCA ensures that goods moving between the UK and the EU have no tariffs or quotas, so long as the rules of origin are complied with. Rules of origin help you work out where your goods originate from and which goods are covered in trade agreements. Our research found that non-tariff measures (NTMs) were responsible for the adverse TCA effect on UK trade with the EU and that the magnitude of loss was significant. It was equivalent to a reduction of £12.4 billion in UK exports over the first six months period of 2021. This equals 16% of UK total exports in the first half of 2019 and 70% of the documented total reduction in the EU exports in the same period. A number of factors can be attributed to the decline of UK exports to the EU. In particular, the increased trade frictions that occurred mainly due to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) as a result of entering the TCA. Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures refer to the EU controls to protect animal, plant or public health. And technical barriers to trade (TBT) refers to mandatory technical regulations and voluntary standards that define specific characteristics that a product should have, such as its size, shape, design, labelling/marking/packaging, functionality or performance. On average, for the first six months of 2021, a 1% increase in SPS resulted in a 13–15% reduction in exports to the EU, most notably in the food and drink, wood and chemicals sectors. Furthermore, a 1% increase in TBT led to a 2–3% reduction in exports, especially in metals, equipment, machines and miscellaneous industrial products. What next? Since the post-Brexit dysfunctions are now diagnosed, in theory we could move on. The UK can directly tackle the trade challenges, so long as other things, such as politics, do not stand in the way. Fundamentally, what needs to happen is the removal or relief of the root causes coded by the TCA – the trade barriers newly erected. This is a key task; it is challenging but not impossible. Trade frictions due to the SPS measures are an acute problem of Brexit. Reducing some of the non-tariff measures between the EU-UK would help by exploring other mechanisms such as equivalent SPS measures or other ways to reduce businesses burden to a minimum. The technical barriers to trade are more complicated and challenging and they could potentially cause significant damage to the UK economy. Despite its limitation, maintaining and broadening the established arrangements of the current TCA provision, through some form of mutual recognition of specific practices or international regulations for selected sectors, should be the ambition of UK government to help ease the TBT trade barriers. Future EU-UK co-operation is critical and mutually beneficial but requires political will and strong leadership. In the short and medium term, supporting firms should be the priority, especially small- and medium-sized firms that are productive enough to have exported to the EU in the past, but now face hurdles to continue exporting. These firms tend to be limited on resource but have the infrastructure and ambition to internationalise. Targeted support for specific challenges could be also fruitful. The UK Department for International Trade Export Support Service, the British Chambers of Commerce and local growth hubs have the expertise and experience to help firms export. Therefore, resources should be made available to allow for customised and responsive support with exports, as well as taking advantage of technologies that can identify and reach businesses who require support. Provision should also be made to collect feedback on the quality of the support provided, to enable further improvement. Helping businesses continue to access EU markets, while enabling the economy to take advantage of welfare-enhancing benefits from trade, remains imperative. Given the economic benefits of the roll-out, the new free trade agreements are expected to be limited and effective only in the long term. UK domestic policies should be the focus to improve the competitiveness of exporters and their ecosystem. By Professor Jun Du Director of the Centre for Business Prosperity Professor of Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, Aston Business School Lecturer in Politics and International Relations School of Social Science and Humanities Dr Oleksandr Shepotylo Senior Lecturer, Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, Aston Business School
'I knew the men murdered in the Amazon—and their alleged killer'
On June 5, 2022, Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira of Brazil and freelance reporter Dom Phillips of Britain went missing while working in a remote part of the Amazon. Since then, a suspect in the case has confessed to their murders. But the story hasn't ended there. As journalists and experts take a closer look, the plot behind the story has thickened with politics, Indigenous rights, and organized crime. Scott Wallace, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Connecticut and author of The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes, has worked extensively in Brazil's Javari Valley. He shared his perspective -- as someone who knew the victims as well as the alleged perpetrator, with National Geographic: The increasingly brazen intruders are no longer small-time players with a net or rifle seeking to put a meal on the family table. Members of the Indigenous patrols say that more and more, poaching crews appear to be highly-capitalized ventures, backed by a shadowy network of outside investors with suspected links to the illicit drug trade. Their fishing boats feature high-horsepower motors, and they carry large quantities of fuel, expensive gill nets, ice, and hundreds of kilos of salt to preserve bushmeat and critically endangered pirarucu, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish. In a rare police action, officers in March intercepted fishermen leaving the reserve with two dozen endangered river turtles, 650 pounds of salted bushmeat, and nearly 900 pounds of salted pirarucu. The evident outlays of cash create both the ability and the imperative for fishermen such as Oliveira to head deeper into the Javari territory, stay there longer, and return with hefty payloads to settle their debts. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Oliveira may have owed a Peruvian financier nicknamed “Colombia” more than $15,000 because a load of his contraband had been intercepted by the Indigenous patrols. As intruders penetrate into the depths of the Javari, Indigenous leaders and their allies fear the growing likelihood of a conflagration involving the uncontacted nomads roaming the forest. “They’re definitely putting the isolados—the isolated ones—at risk,” says Orlando Possuelo, Sydney’s son, who is based in Atalia do Norte and has been working alongside Pereira in advising the Indigenous patrols for the past two years. Poachers are pillaging the animals the isolated groups depend on for survival. And uncontacted groups remain highly vulnerable to contagious diseases, for which they have little to no immunological defense. Finally, and perhaps most immediately, there’s the very real danger of violence. “These fishermen don’t hesitate to shoot,” Orlando says. “If they’re willing to kill outside the reserve, there’s no doubt the lives of the isolated ones are in danger.” An uncontacted Indigenous group would have no way to peacefully communicate with interlopers entering their territory. Their likely first response would be to attack, which could provoke a bloodbath when intruders respond to spears or arrows with far more lethal bullets, says Paulo Marubo. “Anyone knows what the results will be between those carrying firearms and those who do not have them.” The hope of averting that alarming possibility was what led Pereira to risk his life. “The greatest concern that I have is the advance of outsiders—be they for projects authorized by the government or illegal players like loggers, miners, and land-grabbers—into the territories of the isolados,” Pereira told me in a phone call in 2019 after he was ousted from heading the isolated tribes department. “At the same time, you have the crippling of FUNAI and the department to protect the isolated tribes. It’s a very dangerous mix.” Scott Wallace is a bestselling author, photojournalist and educator who covers the environment and vanishing cultures worldwide. Scott is available to speak to media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Unattainably Perfect: Idealized Images of Influencers Negatively Affect Users’ Mental Health
Filters, Adobe Photoshop, and other digital tools are commonly used by social media “influencers.” These celebrities or individuals have a large follower base and “influence” or hold sway over online audiences. This digital enhancement of images is well-documented anecdotally. Instagram, in particular, has come under growing scrutiny by the media in recent years for promoting and popularizing unattainably perfect or unrealistic representations of its influencers. What’s less understood is the appeal and the actual effect that these digitally enhanced images have on followers–particularly in terms of people’s feelings of self-worth and their mental wellbeing. A ground-breaking study by Goizueta Business School’s David Schweidel and Morgan Ward sheds new light on the real-world impact of digital enhancement, and what they find should be cause for significant concern. Downstream Consequences: Impressions Have Lasting Impact Across a series of five studies with a broad sample of participants and using AI-powered deep learning data analysis to parse individuals’ responses, Schweidel and Ward have unearthed a series of insights around the lure of these kinds of idealized images, and the negative “downstream consequences” that they have on other users’ self-esteem. “Going into the research, we hypothesized that micro-influencers who digitally manipulate their images, offering unrealistic versions of themselves, would be more successful at engaging with other users–getting more follows, likes, and comments from them. And we do find this to be the case, but that’s not all,” says Schweidel. He and Ward also discover that when users are exposed to these kinds of images, they make comparisons between themselves and the enhanced influencers; comparisons that leave them feeling lacking, envious, and often inadequate in some way. In terms of mental health and wellbeing, this is alarming, says Ward. Our research shows unequivocally that when followers consume idealized versions of popular figures on social media there is a social comparison process that results in these users experiencing negative feelings and a substantial decline in their state of self-esteem. On the basis of these insights, is Meta–the owner of Facebook and Instagram–likely to take action to limit the use of digital enhancement on its platforms and apps any time soon? Unlikely, say Schweidel and Ward. “Meta seems to be fully aware of the deleterious effects that Instagram has on its users. However, the success of Instagram–and that of the brands and influencers that appear on the app–is fueled by increased consumer engagement: the very engagement that this kind of digital enhancement of images drives. So the incentive is there to maintain the practices that keep users engaged, even if there’s a trade-off in their emotional and mental health.” This is a fascinating and important topic - and if you're a reporter looking to know, then let us help. David A. Schweidel is professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. He is an expert in the areas of customer relationship management and social media analytics. Morgan Ward is an assistant professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and is an expert in consumer behavior. Both experts are available to speak with media - simply click on an icon to arrange a discussion today.
Professor Jun Du and Dr Oleksandr Shepotylo from Aston University analysed the effects of the end of the Brexit transition period on UK exports This equals to a nearly 16% of UK total exports in the first half of 2019 and 70% of the documented total reduction in the EU exports in the same period The research suggests non-tariff measures (NTMs) are responsible for the fall in trade between the UK and EU. New research by experts at Aston University for the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) has found that UK exports experienced a large, negative, statistically significant decline in 2021 at the end of transition after the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was put in force. The TCA is a free trade agreement signed on 30 December 2020 between the European Union (EU), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the United Kingdom (UK). Professor Jun Du and Dr Oleksandr Shepotylo used a Synthetic Difference in Differences (SDID) estimator to construct a counterfactual of the UK had it not exited the EU and entered the TCA, to compare its trading performance. This was done by comparing the actual performance of the UK with the modelled performance in 2021 with the same periods of 2018-2020. They also examined the extent to which the overall TCA effect has been due to the increased frictions due to non-tariff measures (NTMs). They estimate that this amounts to a 22 per cent reduction in exports to the EU and a 26 per cent reduction in imports from the EU over the first half of 2021, relative to the counterfactual scenario of the UK remaining in the EU. The research confirmed that NTMs are responsible for the adverse TCA effect on UK trade with the EU and that the magnitude of loss was significant. It was equivalent to a reduction of £12.4 billion in UK exports over the first six months period of 2021, notably in food and drink, wood and chemicals sectors. This equals to 15.6% of UK total exports in the first half of 2019, and 70% of the documented total reduction in the EU exports in the same period. Jun Du, professor of economics at Aston University, lead on internationalisation research at the ERC and director of the Centre for Business Prosperity (CBP), said: “These results underscore the heavy costs of erecting trade barriers on the UK’s side with its largest trade partner. “Trade frictions, due to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures (measures to protect humans, animals, and plants from diseases, pests, or contaminants), are acute problems due to the EU exit. “Reducing some of the NTMs between the EU-UK, by exploring mechanisms such as equivalence in SPS measures or other ways to reduce businesses’ burden to the minimum level possible. “More complicated and challenging are the technical barriers to trade, but they could potentially cause significant damage to the UK economy. Maintaining and broadening the established arrangements of the current TCA provision, despite being limited, through some form of mutual recognition of specific practices or international regulations for selected sectors, should be the ambition of UK government to ease the TBT (technical barriers to trade). “Future EU-UK co-operation is critical and mutually beneficial but requires political will and strong leadership.” Dr Oleksandr Shepotylo, a senior lecturer in Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship Department at Aston Business School, co-wrote the working paper and said: “Continued alignment with the EU regulations was a demand from many businesses throughout the Brexit process, and it is expected to be still important post Brexit. This must be conveyed to policy makers. “In the short term, preparedness and adaptability have rewarded and will continue to reward businesses facing challenges and disruptions. The need for learning and training remains paramount. “In the medium and longer term, businesses will have to stay competitive to retain access to the global market, to perform better in it, and to gain more benefit from it. This is the case for all firms even if the ways to achieve it may differ. In addition, businesses need to consider adopting new business models through which they can balance the need for lean production with resilience, as well as weighing up economic, social, and environmental gains. Despite the many considerable challenges, there are boundless avenues where opportunities for breaking through are present.” You can read the full report on the ERC website here.
The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report It sets out ten evidence-based recommendations for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) including increasing their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion The report is being launched at a special event on 10 May at NatWest Conference Centre in London with keynote speaker Sir Trevor Philips OBE. A new report from Aston University has set out a plan for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in the UK. The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report which sets out ten evidence-based recommendations to promote greater success and inclusion of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in finance and business support in the UK. Experts say the implementation of the recommendations could help tackle the multiple barriers faced by EMBs, particularly in accessing finance, markets and quality business support, and could increase their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion, highlighting the significant potential of EMBs to the UK economy. The report says that to combat racial inequality, there should be a UK-wide support for ethnic led businesses should be a standard feature of all future plans. This includes integrating them into broader policy agendas of inclusive growth, productivity and innovation. A more inclusive approach to enterprise is key to tackling wider social structural barriers such as unequal access to employment opportunities and product markets, and gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Concerted action is needed to support the growth ambitions of EMBs, particularly in light of damaging consequences of the pandemic for ethnic minority communities. The report calls for a strong action to eliminate the longstanding challenge of discouragement of ethnic minority entrepreneurs from seeking finance and business support. It found EMBs have been particularly hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the sectors in which they tend to operate and recommends recovery support is focussed on the businesses that need it most. The report also highlights the need for greater accountability of organisations across public, private and third sectors, including business support agencies, finance providers and large purchasing organisations, for their business engagement with EMBs. Professor Monder Ram, director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, said: “This major report sets out an ambitious yet practical agenda to realise the potential of UK’s ethnic minority businesses. “The entrepreneurial ambition of ethnic minorities can play a crucial role in the UK Government’s vision of ‘Levelling Up’ prosperity across regions, promoting trade opportunities of ‘Global Britain’ and creating a more cohesive society. “Drawing on the latest research and examples of international best practice, the report presents a comprehensive approach to tackling the barriers faced by firms owned by ethnic minority communities. “We pinpoint key challenges and present recommendations – informed by extensive consultation with business support practitioners and entrepreneurs – that invite policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to collaborate in a new partnership to advance entrepreneurial activities and the UK’s diverse communities.” The report calls for central government and local decision makers to develop clear objectives for inclusive entrepreneurship, informed by evidence, and ensure that EMBs can access quality business support that helps them grow. Dr Eva Kašperová, a research fellow at CREME, said: “To address the barriers faced by EMBs and help them realise their entrepreneurial potential will require commitment and leadership from the government as well as local business support ecosystem actors. “The current lack of an explicit UK-wide policy on inclusive entrepreneurship could mean that some parts of the country are left behind in terms of tackling structural inequalities and enabling entrepreneurs from ethnic minority communities and other under-represented or disadvantaged groups to access finance, wider markets and quality business support. “If past experience is a guide, ensuring commitment from key stakeholders may be the biggest challenge.” Andrew Harrison, head of Business Banking at NatWest Group, said: “As the UK’s biggest bank for business, we’re committed to championing small businesses and supporting growth, but we know that there are barriers which disproportionately affect Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs). “This is why we aim for at least 20% of the places on our 13 nationwide accelerator hubs to be for ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In 2021, 26% of businesses in our hubs were EMBs. “Only close collaboration can deliver meaningful change to ensure EMBs get the support they need to reach their full potential. Now is the time to accelerate action, and at NatWest we commit to playing an integral role in the change that is required.” The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) will share this report, inviting policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to come together in a collaborative and strategic partnership to champion enterprise and advance entrepreneurial activities and the UKs diverse communities, further building an inclusive entrepreneurial eco-system supporting businesses to thrive at a launch event at NatWest Conference Centre in London on 10 May.
UCI expert sources for the Russia/Ukraine Conflict
On Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, UCI’s School of Social Sciences hosted a webinar titled, “Understanding the Russia-Ukraine Crisis.” Several of the experts below offered perspective on key issues surrounding the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. You can watch or listen to the webinar here: https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2022/2022-02-25-understanding-the-russia-ukraine-crisis.php UCI faculty members available to comment, and their areas of expertise, are found below. Matthew Beckmann, Associate Professor, Political Science. Professor Beckman studies the organizational structures and operational strategies presidents can use to pick their team, invest their time, focus their attention, channel their effort, discipline their thinking, coordinate their subordinates, and, most importantly, make decisions. Contact: beckmann@uci.edu Jeffrey Kopstein, Professor, Political Science. In his research, Professor Kopstein focuses on interethnic violence, voting patterns of minority groups, and anti-liberal tendencies in civil society, paying special attention to cases within European and Russian Jewish history. As pertains to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, he can speak to politics in Russia and Ukraine, Authoritarianism, NATO and the transatlantic alliance, and European Union policy. Contact: kopstein@uci.edu Erin Lockwood, Assistant Professor, Political Science. Professor Lockwood’s research areas include international political economy and global financial politics. She can speak to questions related to economic sanctions, financial sanctions/financial infrastructure and payments systems more generally (for example, the prospect of cutting off Russian access to the SWIFT financial communications system.) Contact: eklockwo@uci.edu David Meyer, Professor, Sociology, Political Science and Planning, Policy & Design. Professor Meyer’s research examines the relationships between social movements and the political contexts in which they emerge. Topics surrounding the Russia/Ukraine conflict that align with his expertise include sanction strategy; the resistance strategy that might emerge in Ukraine in the face of occupation; the history of the Cold War and its influence today; and the possibility of a powerful peace/isolationist movement emerging in the U.S. Contact: dmeyer@uci.edu Gustavo Oliveira, Assistant Professor, Global & International Studies. Professor Oliveira is a specialist in global political economy and critical geopolitics, focusing on the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and international commodity markets, especially agricultural trade and natural resource governance. He can speak to the basis of the Russia/Ukraine conflict on natural resources, and the repercussions of the conflict for international commodity markets, inflation, and disruptions to global food supply chains. He can also speak about the anti-war movements in Russia, Europe, the United States, and broader political repercussions of the conflict in Brazil, Latin America, and the U.S. Contact: gustavo.oliveira@uci.edu Stergios Skaperdas, Professor, Economics and Director of the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies. His general area of research is political economy, the interaction of economics and politics. Among other issues, he has studied conflict and wars, the role of the modern state in economic development, and the interaction of globalization and geopolitics. Contact: sskaperd@uci.edu Etel Solingen, Distinguished Professor, Political Science and Thomas T. and Elizabeth C. Tierney Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies. Solingen studies the reciprocal influence between international political economy and international security, globalization and its discontents. She can discuss the crisis in terms of historical precedents (of international crises), the utility of sanctions, bargaining in crisis, Russia’s economic decline and how it bears on the current crisis. Contact: etel.solingen@uci.edu Media Contacts: • Tom Vasich, Communications Officer, UCI | 949-285-6455 | tmvasich@uci.edu • Heather Ashbach, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, School of Social Sciences | 719-651-3224 | hashbach@uci.edu
Most in-demand jobs in British Columbia (B.C.) for newcomers
British Columbia is Canada’s third most populous province after Ontario and Quebec, with a large portion of its residents living in the Lower Mainland, which includes the coastal city of Vancouver and surrounding municipalities. The province attracts newcomers from all over the world with its cultural diversity, career opportunities, and enjoyable temperate climate. The government of British Columbia periodically invites newcomers with the skills and experience to meet the province’s growing labour requirements to work and settle in B.C. as Permanent Residents (PR) through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). This article provides information on British Columbia’s job market, including key industries and in-demand occupations for newcomers in B.C., along with NOC codes and median wage estimates, so you can arrive prepared to kick-start your career in Canada. What are the top industries in British Columbia? Services industry: The services sector is the largest contributor to the province’s GDP and the biggest employer in British Columbia. Some key service industries include real estate, construction, banking and financial services, health care, entertainment, retail, education, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Manufacturing industry: Top manufacturing industries include aerospace, clean technology, life sciences, information and communication technology, and paper. Mining and natural gas industry: B.C. has more than 700 mining and mineral companies, and employs over 25,000 people in mining and natural gas extraction and processing. The province is rich in precious metals and non-metallic minerals. Agriculture, aquaculture, and food processing industry: A wide range of agricultural and seafood products support a varied food processing industry in the province. Forestry: B.C. is one of the world’s largest exporters of wood products and the industry employs over 55,000 people. Which cities have the most job opportunities in BC? Lower Mainland, including Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, and Richmond: The most populous area in all of B.C., the Lower Mainland region offers ample job opportunities in services, trade, technology, film and television, tourism, natural resources, and construction. Victoria: The capital city of Victoria has large industries centred around advanced technology, tourism, education, health, retail, construction, and agriculture. Abbotsford: Abbotsford is known for its large agribusiness industry. It also offers employment opportunities in technology and aerospace industries. Kelowna: Kelowna has a diverse economy with opportunities in agriculture, health care, manufacturing, tourism, and service industries. What jobs are in demand in British Columbia? Construction and engineering jobs in B.C. Construction managers (NOC 0711): To get a job as a construction manager, you may require a management degree and can expect to earn a median income of $41 CAD per hour. Civil, electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineers (NOC 2131, 2133, 2132): These in-demand jobs in B.C. pay between $36 CAD and $43 CAD per hour. However, you’ll need an engineering degree and a provincial licence to work as an engineer. Technology jobs in B.C. Information systems analysts and consultants (NOC 2171): IT analysts and consultants earn a median income of $36 CAD per hour. Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174): As a programmer or developer, you can expect to make around $43 CAD per hour. Computer network technicians (NOC 2281): Technicians make a median income of $28.85 CAD per hour in B.C. Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173): Software engineering jobs in B.C. are highly paid, with a median hourly pay of $52 CAD. You’ll need an engineering degree to qualify. Business and administration jobs in B.C. Administrative officers and assistants (NOC 1221 and 1241): These roles typically pay between $23 CAD and $26 CAD per hour. Financial auditors and accountants (NOC 1111): For finance and accounting roles, you’ll need a graduate degree or diploma in relevant courses. Auditors earn an average salary of $28 CAD per hour in B.C. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311): Bookkeepers are paid a median hourly wage of $24 CAD. Health care jobs in B.C. Specialist physicians, general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3111, 3112): Most of the in-demand occupations in health care require a provincial licence. To practise as a physician in B.C., newcomers also need to take a qualifying examination. Physicians, depending on their specialization, make a median annual income between $164,237 CAD and $256,202 CAD in British Columbia. Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012): Registered nurses earn a median income of $41 CAD per hour and require a provincial nursing licence. Licensed practical nurses (NOC 3233): This in-demand occupation pays a median wage of $29 CAD per hour. Medical sonographers (NOC 3216): Sonographers make between $35 CAD and $39 CAD per hour in B.C. Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 3413): Nurse aides and orderlies earn between $18 CAD and $25 CAD per hour, depending on their experience and seniority. Education and social services jobs in B.C. Social and community service workers (NOC 4212): These jobs pay around $21 CAD per hour in B.C. Educators for universities, colleges, vocational institutes, and early childhood education (NOC 4011, 4021, and 4214): University and college professors and lecturers require a provincial teaching credential to work in BC. The median hourly pay for these occupations is $43 CAD. Early childhood educators earn a median income of $19 CAD per hour. Sales and services jobs in B.C. Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621): Managers in trade earn a median hourly wage of $30 CAD in BC. Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 0631): The median hourly wage for these positions is $26 CAD. Corporate sales managers (NOC 0601): Managerial jobs in sales make an average of $31.25 CAD per hour. What is the minimum wage in British Columbia? As of June 1, 2021, the minimum wage in British Columbia is $15.20 CAD per hour. What is the unemployment rate in B.C.? In November 2021, the unemployment rate in British Columbia was 5.4 per cent. How do I move to British Columbia? In addition to the federal Express Entry program, the province also invites skilled immigrants to come to B.C. as permanent residents through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). To work in B.C. temporarily, you’ll require a work permit. You’ll also have a better chance of finding a job if your skills match the province’s in-demand occupations. British Columbia is also home to some of the best universities in Canada, which welcome thousands of students each year. After graduating from your study program, you may be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit and can gain valuable work experience that will make it easier for you to settle permanently in Canada. About Arrive Arrive is powered by RBC Ventures Inc, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. In collaboration with RBC, Arrive is dedicated to helping newcomers achieve their life, career, and financial goals in Canada. An important part of establishing your financial life in Canada is finding the right partner to invest in your financial success. RBC is the largest bank in Canada* and here to be your partner in all of your financial needs. RBC supports Arrive, and with a 150-year commitment to newcomer success in Canada, RBC goes the extra mile in support and funding to ensure that the Arrive newcomer platform is FREE to all. Working with RBC, Arrive can help you get your financial life in Canada started – right now. * Based on market capitalization
Most in-demand jobs in Ontario for newcomers
Ontario is one of the most popular provinces among newcomers. Its cultural diversity, economic prosperity, and ever-growing job market are just some of the reasons newcomers from across the world choose to settle in Ontario. The government of Ontario periodically invites newcomers with the skills and experience to meet the province’s growing labour requirements to work and settle in Ontario as Permanent Residents (PR) through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. This article provides information on Ontario’s job market. This includes the top industries that contribute to its economy, the most in-demand occupations for newcomers in the region, NOC codes, and median wage estimates, so you can arrive prepared to kick-start your career in Canada. What are the top industries in Ontario? Services industry: The services sector is the largest contributor to the province’s economy and employs nearly 79 per cent of the people living in Ontario. Some of the key service industries include banking and financial services, professional, scientific and technical services, and arts and culture. Manufacturing industry: Ontario’s manufacturing industry is one of the biggest in North America. Some of the most prominent manufacturing industries are automotive, information and communication technologies, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Agriculture: Ontario’s farming sector contributes nearly 25 per cent of Canada’s farm revenue. Mining industry: In addition to being one of the world’s top 10 producers of nickel and platinum, Ontario is also rich in gold, silver, copper, zinc, cobalt, and non-metallic minerals. Southern Ontario also has a sizeable oil and gas industry. Forestry industry: The forestry industry in the province creates nearly 200,000 direct and indirect jobs. Which cities have the most job opportunities in Ontario? Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA): This is the most populous region in the province, and Toronto is the financial hub of Canada. Other large industries in Toronto and the GTA include technology, real estate, trade, and manufacturing. Ottawa: As the capital of Canada, Ottawa offers significant job opportunities in administration. It is also a major centre for the high technology and finance industries. Brantford: This city is a manufacturing hub and offers job opportunities in food and beverage manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, rubber and plastic production, and warehousing and distribution. In addition, Brantford also has a growing media and entertainment sector. Hamilton: Another manufacturing centre, Hamilton has a large job market in the food processing and agribusiness industry, as well as in advanced manufacturing. Waterloo: The Toronto-Waterloo region is often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of the North’ and presents significant opportunities in the technology sector. Which jobs are in demand in Ontario? Health care jobs in Ontario Managers in health care (NOC 0311): Managerial positions in health care typically require a degree in management and pay around $48.21 CAD per hour. • Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012): You’ll need a nursing degree and a provincial nursing licence to qualify. The median hourly pay for registered nurses in Ontario is $36 CAD. • Medical laboratory technologists (NOC 3211): As a lab technologist in Ontario, you can earn a median income of $38 CAD per hour. • Opticians (NOC 3231): Opticians make between $27 CAD and $34 CAD in Ontario. • Licensed practical nurses (NOC 3233): Licensed nurses make a median hourly wage of $27 CAD. • Nurse aides, orderlies, home support workers, and patient service associates (NOC 3413, 4412): For these occupations, the hourly wage ranges between $17.50 CAD and $20 CAD. Service sector jobs in Ontario To qualify for service sector jobs, you’ll usually require at least an undergraduate or graduate degree from a university. Administrative services managers (NOC 0114): Managerial positions in administration typically pay a median salary of $41 CAD per hour. Banking, credit and other investment managers (NOC 0122): Managers in the finance sector earn a median income of $50 CAD per hour. You’ll usually need a degree in management or finance to qualify. Advertising, marketing, and public relations managers (NOC 0124): These roles require a degree in marketing or management and pay a median income of $40 CAD per hour. Business services managers (NOC 0125): These roles pay an average hourly salary of $43 CAD. Corporate sales managers (NOC 0601): Sales manager roles in Ontario can be fairly high paying, with a median hourly wage of $52 CAD per hour. Restaurant and food services managers (0631): Compared to other managerial positions, restaurant and food services managers have the lowest median wage at $19.23 CAD per hour. Construction managers and managers in transportation (NOC 0711, 0731): Employees in these roles earn a median hourly wage between $38 CAD and $40 CAD. Human resources professionals (NOC 1121): HR professionals make an average income of $35 CAD per hour. Professional occupations in business management consulting (NOC 1122): In Ontario, business consultants make a median hourly salary of $41 CAD. Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries (NOC 2161): As a mathematician, you can earn an average of $45 CAD per hour. However, you’ll need an advanced degree in mathematics, statistics, or a related subject. Technology sector jobs in Ontario To work as an engineer in Ontario, newcomers require a licence from the province in addition to an engineering degree. Engineering managers, computer and information systems managers (NOC 0211, 0213): Managerial level in-demand jobs in Ontario pay a median hourly wage between $52 CAD and $53 CAD. To qualify, you may require a degree in engineering, management, or both. Computer engineers (NOC 2147): As a computer engineer, you can earn a median income of $44 CAD per hour. Database analysts, software engineers and designers, computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2172, 2173, 2174): These technology sector roles pay between $40 CAD and $46 CAD per hour in Ontario. While many such positions require an engineering degree, some roles may also be open to applicants with a degree in computer science. Web designers and developers (NOC 2175): Web designers in Ontario can earn a median hourly wage of $31 CAD. Manufacturing jobs in Ontario Manufacturing managers (NOC 0911): Managers in manufacturing make a median income of $43 CAD per hour in Ontario. Machine operators in the mining and processing, chemicals, plastics, woodworking, and food and beverage industries (NOC 9411, 9416, 9417, 9418, 9421, 9422, 9437, 9446, 9461): Machine operators and process control workers typically earn a median hourly wage between $15 CAD and $23 CAD, depending on the industry they are in. Assemblers, fabricators, inspectors, and testers in the electronics and mechanical industries (NOC 9523, 9526, 9536, 9537): The median hourly wage for these jobs is between $16 CAD and $22 CAD. Agriculture jobs in Ontario The median hourly wage for in-demand agriculture jobs is between $14.35 CAD and $20 CAD. General farm workers (NOC 8431) Nursery and greenhouse workers (NOC 8432) Harvesting labourers (NOC 8611) Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry workers (NOC 9462) What is the minimum wage in Ontario? The general minimum wage in Ontario as of October 1, 2021, is $14.35 CAD per hour. For student workers, the minimum wage is $13.50 per hour. What is the unemployment rate in Ontario? The unemployment rate in Ontario in September 2021 was 7.3 per cent. However, the province’s economy is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and, with each quarter, the unemployment rate is inching back towards the pre-pandemic level of under six per cent. How can I move to Ontario? In addition to the federal Express Entry program, the province also invites permanent residents through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. If you’re planning to work in Ontario temporarily, you may be able to qualify for a work permit if your skills align with the province’s in-demand occupations. Ontario also boasts of some of the best universities in Canada and, each year, thousands of students come to Canada on study permits, with the aim of receiving a world-class education and settling permanently in Canada. Original article located here, published by Arrive. About Arrive Arrive is powered by RBC Ventures Inc, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. In collaboration with RBC, Arrive is dedicated to helping newcomers achieve their life, career, and financial goals in Canada. An important part of establishing your financial life in Canada is finding the right partner to invest in your financial success. RBC is the largest bank in Canada* and here to be your partner in all of your financial needs. RBC supports Arrive, and with a 150-year commitment to newcomer success in Canada, RBC goes the extra mile in support and funding to ensure that the Arrive newcomer platform is FREE to all. Working with RBC, Arrive can help you get your financial life in Canada started – right now.
Is it better to give than receive? Our expert explains the science behind holiday gift giving
It's the holiday season -- full of merriment and cheer and gift giving. But why do we give gifts? And why is it a ritual that cuts across cultures on just about every continent on Earth? UConn professor Dimitris Xygalatas, an expert in human rituals, details the social science behind the centuries old tradition of exchanging gifts in a new essay for The Conversation: From the shells exchanged by Pacific islanders to the toys and sweaters placed under Christmas trees, sharing has always been at the center of many ritual traditions. This is fundamentally different from other forms of material exchange, like trade or barter. For the Massim, exchanging a shell necklace for a shell armband is not the same as trading yam for fish, just as giving a birthday present is not the same as handing a cashier money to purchase groceries. This speaks to a more general rule of ceremonial actions: they are not what they appear to be. Unlike ordinary behaviors, ritual actions are nonutilitarian. It is this very lack of obvious utility that makes them special. Professor Xygalatas is an anthropologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Connecticut who specializes in some of the things that make us human, including ritual, sports, music, cooperation, and the interaction between cognition and culture. He is available to speak with media, answering all your holiday ritual questions. Click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
