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Showing posts from August, 2024

Influences on the Economy: Immigration

Immigration is simply the movement of people from one country into another host country. Whilst the benefits to the economy include contributions to the labour market and filling the gaps in necessary skills, the costs of increased housing and services have garnered lots of controversy. In the first quarter of 2024, studies showed that foreign-born workers made up over a fifth of the working population. Given that around 60% of immigrants are working age, this therefore seems beneficial to the national workforce. The UK, for example, is suffering extreme job shortages:     - Over 40,000 nursing vacancies      - Cybersecurity workforce shrunk by 65,000     - Need for 700,000 new technicians The influx of skilled workers may be able to fill the void, reducing pressures on companies and public services. This means that extreme cost-cutting measures, such as the significant lay-offs and redundancies, as well as stagnated wages, can be curbed. Productivity of organisations can improve whils

Influences on the Economy: Natural Disasters

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Natural disasters are any natural events which cause damage or harm to people, the environment, and in turn, the overall economy. Occurrences of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions across the globe have wreaked not just direct implications on human life and loss of industry, but long term secondary impacts on financial stability and diversion of funds. At face value, natural disasters present many challenges to an economy, though it also provides scope for new opportunities and innovation. The direct costs of a natural hazard are always a significant effect. The most expensive disaster in history was the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan, as the damage was estimated at $235 billion (though other sources claim it was upwards of $360 billion). This means that government funds cannot be directed towards more economically progressive areas such as technology and other financial industries. The immediate costs are further compounded by the rebuilding costs to construct houses and buildings aga