Issue No. 631, 16-31 December 2016
UN reports point to slow growth, rising unemployment

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World economy remains trapped in period of slow growth
The world economy in 2016 recorded its lowest growth rate since the Great Recession of 2009, according to the UN, and a robust recovery is being hindered by weak investment levels and slow growth in trade and productivity.
by Kanaga Raja

Global unemployment to rise by 3.4 million this year, says ILO
The global unemployment rate is projected by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to rise in 2017, amid a protracted economic slowdown which has set back progress in increasing both the quantity and quality of jobs.
by Kanaga Raja

Developed countries want “payment” anew for unresolved Doha agri issues
In return for dealing with outstanding agriculture-related issues in the WTO, developed countries want the trade body to take up new items on its agenda.
by D. Ravi Kanth

New OECD measure for aid highly problematic, says study
A study questions the need for and potential effectiveness of a new gauge of development aid being formulated by the OECD grouping of rich-country donors.
by Kanaga Raja

Eight men as wealthy as half the world
A report by anti-poverty group Oxfam highlights how a “broken economic model” is creating a yawning gulf between rich and poor.
by Baher Kamal

Exposing the wealth defence industry
A new book sheds light on the world of the professional wealth managers helping the ultra-rich dodge taxes and regulation.
by Chuck Collins

Opinion: Trump trade strategy unclear
With the mercurial Donald Trump now at the helm of the world’s largest economy, Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Anis Chowdhury consider how international trade dynamics may be altered as a result.