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FEDS Paper: The Effect of Liquidity Constraints on Labor Supply: Evidence from Interest Rate Ceilings

12/22/2025 Federal Reserve Central banks

Kabir Dasgupta, Brenden J. MasonWe exploit the spatiotemporal variation in US states’ interest rate ceilings on small-dollar loans to identify the effect of liquidity constraints on labor supply. Exogenously-capped interest rates lead to consumers being shut out of the market for cash loans. In response, labor supply increases by approximately 0.4 hours per week. We also find that the propensity to take personal leaves decreases.

Could Settlers of Catan make you a better strategist?

12/22/2025 The Conversation News & Comments

Marcelo Ferrari/PixabayChristmas is just around the corner, and you might be wondering how to spend those long, lazy afternoons. If you’re tired of the same old Monopoly, perhaps it’s time to try Settlers of Catan.

The cost of chocolate is soaring, but blaming cocoa prices doesn’t give the whole picture

12/22/2025 The Conversation UK

Dmitr1ch/ShutterstockFamiliar bars of chocolate have been getting more expensive, and often smaller. Is this really just because cocoa has become more expensive, as is often claimed in the media?

FEDS Paper: Estimating Aggregate Data Center Investment with Project-level Data

12/22/2025 Federal Reserve Central banks

Eirik Eylands Brandsaas, Daniel Garcia, Robert Kurtzman, Joseph Nichols, and Adelia ZytekData center investment in the U.S. has increased rapidly in the post-pandemic era, and plans for future investment have surged further.

Peltz’s Trian and General Catalyst lead $7.4bn takeover of Janus Henderson

12/22/2025 Financial Times UK

Asset manager’s investors will receive $49 a share in 18% premium over initial Trian overture in October

HSBC hires ex-Citi executive Ida Liu to lead global private bank

12/22/2025 Financial Times UK

Ida Liu to join Europe’s largest lender as head of its global private bank

The ‘pawprint economy’ is booming – and it offers huge opportunities for tourism

12/22/2025 The Conversation UK

New Africa/ShutterstockLuxury pet pampering packages at hotels, menus with dog-friendly roast dinners and £6,000 animal-friendly charter flights. Pet travel isn’t just a trend, it’s something of a transformation. This is the “pawprint economy” – and it’s booming.

SYRIZA leader renews call for progressive unity as party’s drift to margins continues

12/22/2025 Macropolis European Union

SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos has issued a renewed call for Greece’s progressive forces to set aside differences and work together as opinion polls continue to indicate that he outcome of the next elections will be inconclusive.

Current account deficit still improving in Oct due to trade balance for services, goods

12/22/2025 Macropolis European Union

Greece’s current account recorded a deficit of 1.09 billion euros in October, from 408.8 million euros in September, Bank of Greece (BoG) data released on Monday showed.

The digital euro: awareness, adoption and household portfolios

12/22/2025 European Central Bank Central banks

Based on a series of novel experiments fielded within the ECB’s Consumer Expectations Survey, we provide evidence on the attitudes of euro area consumers towards a possible central bank digital currency (CBDC). We document substantial socio‑demographic heterogeneity in consumers’ awareness and willingness to adopt a CBDC. According to survey responses, a sizeable share of around 45% of households would be interested in potentially adopting this new asset.

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