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Productivity performance has long varied across the nations of the UK – and it has continued to do so since the devolved administrations were established a quarter of a century ago. Devolution allows for tailored policies to boost productivity, focused on human capital, innovation and investment.

The quality of jobs in the UK is generally good: by many measures, it has even improved over the last five years. But there are a number of concerning trends that could lead to more mediocre jobs, and away from enriching work and employees who are happy and fulfilled.

The UK economy faces numerous problems, including low productivity, high public debt and wide regional disparities. The new government’s first budget is an opportunity not only to respond to immediate pressures, but also to present a blueprint for a more balanced, inclusive and resilient economy.

Institutions that have been in place for centuries and cutting-edge new technologies both have big effects on society. Daron Acemoglu, co-recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, talks to Graeme Roy about how we can harness institutions and technologies for the common good.

Successive UK governments have struggled to promote economic growth in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2007-09. In an interview conducted in late 2023, former business secretary Vince Cable talks to John Turner about some of the persistent challenges for policy-makers.

The Venezuelan economy has suffered from decades of disastrous economic policies – and more recently, from economic sanctions. The country has seen the largest ever decline in living standards outside war, revolution or the collapse of the state.

Paris hosted the 2024 Summer Olympic Games – the 30th of the modern era. Memories will be dominated by great sporting moments, including athletes winning their countries’ first ever medals. But the mega-event also highlighted issues around representation, equality, cost control and home advantage.

UK universities have significantly higher undergraduate admissions when the English Premier League team they share a name with narrowly escapes relegation at the end of a season compared with those universities that share a name with a team that did not avoid the drop from top-flight football.

Voter turnout has declined in recent decades, reaching a 20-year low in the UK’s 2024 general election. While overall turnout has fallen, some groups – including young people and ethnic minorities – are even less likely to cast their vote. Alternative electoral systems might boost voter engagement.

The 2024 Olympics begins soon in Paris, the third time that the summer event has taken place in the French capital. The last time the city hosted was in 1924, when France finished third in the medal table. Home advantage won’t guarantee success this time around – but history is on their side.

The productivity of UK firms depends on them being well managed. This makes improving management practices a critically important issue both for business leaders and for policy-makers seeking to boost the country’s overall economic performance.

As the European Championship nears its conclusion, each remaining team has roughly a 50% probability of being in the final in Berlin on Sunday. France and Spain have around a 30% chance of lifting the trophy, while the English and Dutch have about a 20% chance.

The UK’s public services are stretched thin across the country, serving higher numbers of people with lower budgets. Introducing minimum standards and levels of infrastructure and services could help to reduce local and regional inequalities and ensure that all places prosper.

The quality of jobs in the UK is generally good: by many measures, it has even improved over the last five years. But there are a number of concerning trends that could lead to more mediocre jobs, and away from enriching work and employees who are happy and fulfilled.

The tripling of tuition fees in 2012 put universities in a strong financial position. But since then, fees – and the maintenance loans that support students – haven’t kept up with inflation. Now, students face real hardship and some universities seem to be in deep financial difficulties.

The UK has had seven different sets of fiscal rules since 2010, suggesting that they are simply not fit for purpose. Sound fiscal policy urgently needs the Chancellor to accept accountability and transparency, including an annual ‘state of the economy’ address outlining progress – and failure.

The Labour government will present its first budget in late October. The new chancellor has inherited an economy with at least four big problems: low productivity growth; stagnant living standards; persistent regional inequality; and a fiscal framework that is stifling much-needed public investment.

The global financial crisis of 2007-09 had a huge impact on Ireland, with soaring unemployment and a big rise in public debt as the government bailed out the country’s banks. But the Irish economy has bounced back strongly since 2012, primarily due to globalisation and foreign direct investment.

Lawyers have traditionally been slow to embrace technology, with courtroom practices remaining largely the same for centuries. The arrival of generative AI is set to change all that.

The government has committed to extending the UK’s framework for gender pay gap reporting by employers to other protected characteristics, including disability. The policy seeks to improve transparency and equality among disabled and non-disabled employees – but implementation could be challenging.

The 2024 Olympics begins soon in Paris, the third time that the summer event has taken place in the French capital. The last time the city hosted was in 1924, when France finished third in the medal table. Home advantage won’t guarantee success this time around – but history is on their side.

The productivity of UK firms depends on them being well managed. This makes improving management practices a critically important issue both for business leaders and for policy-makers seeking to boost the country’s overall economic performance.

Growing up in poverty has highly detrimental impacts on children’s development and their wellbeing in later life. In the UK, where rates of child poverty have been rising sharply in recent years, particularly for those in large families, targeted policy interventions could make a big difference.