Economics in business

July 2026

PwC UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian is joined by Andy Haldane, Economic Adviser to PwC UK and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England, to explore why the UK economy has been surprisingly resilient in the face of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

They also discuss what the future opportunities are for the incoming Labour government, including how they can harness the increased defence spending and reset relations with business to unlock investment.

For feedback or topic suggestions, get in touch with Barret at [email protected].

May 2026

PwC UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian is joined by Andy Haldane, Economic Adviser to PwC UK and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England, to explore three possible futures for the Middle East and what they could mean for businesses, markets and the global economy.

They also discuss the surprising resilience of UK private sector balance sheets, whether the recent stock market rally can continue, and why UK borrowing costs are still rising.

For feedback or topic suggestions, get in touch with Barret at [email protected].

April 2026

PwC UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian is joined by Andy Haldane, Special Advisor to PwC UK, to unpack the latest developments in the Middle East and what they mean for UK businesses. They revisit the pre-escalation outlook, explore how rising geopolitical risk is feeding through into oil prices, supply chains, inflation and financial markets, and consider the implications for UK economic growth and monetary policy. 
They also set out practical steps business leaders can take now to navigate heightened uncertainty with confidence.

For feedback or topic suggestions, get in touch with Barret at [email protected].

In this final PwC Economics in Business Podcast of 2025, PwC UK Economics Leader Simon Oates and UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian take stock after the dust has settled on the UK Budget. They unpack what a thicker fiscal headroom really signals for economic stability and how recent policy changes are reshaping business decisions and the labour market as firms look ahead to 2026. Barret also shares some of his economic predictions for next year, from US monetary policy and tariffs to the risk of an AI-driven market revaluation.

With households saving more and uncertainty rising, UK growth remains mediocre. In this episode from the PwC Economics team, Barret Kupelian Chief Economist and Andy Haldane Special Advisor speak to Simon Oates, UK Economics Leader on their latest thoughts on the economy, why households are saving and weigh on the Chancellor's high-level fiscal options for the Autumn Budget. They are also joined by Fatos Koc from the OECD on a fascinating discussion on global public debt levels. 

Hosted by Simon Oates, Leader of Economics at PwC UK, this episode of Economics in Business brings you a data-driven exploration of the UK economy’s brightest levers and its toughest hurdles. Join Simon as he challenges:

Barret Kupelian, PwC’s Chief Economist UK, on why real wages are rising faster than wallets feel—and what it means for consumer demand.

Andy Haldane, PwC Special Advisor and former Bank of England Chief Economist, on the sharp contrast between sluggish goods exports and booming services—and the policy choices ahead.

Together, they dissect:

• Rising pay packets vs. muted spending
• The goods vs. services export boom
• Britain’s decade long productivity puzzle

While women's participation in labour markets is increasing, they continue to face pay disparities compared to men. In this episode, host Ellie Golden is joined by Alia Qamar and Yashi Chowdhary, Economists at PwC, to dive deeper into the findings of the Women in Work 2024 report. The speakers outline the standout findings, the drivers of the gender pay gap in the UK, and why this is so important.

Are we out of the woods yet? In this podcast, Ellie Golden hosts our UK Chief Economist Barret Kupelian, along with Jake Finney, a manager in our Economics team, to discuss their views on the macroeconomic outlook and the reports special article, which offers a holistic evaluation on undergraduate degrees. The speaker's outline their views on GDP growth, the outlook on headline inflation and what recent geopolitical developments could mean for domestic prices in the UK.

Free school meals can have a great impact on both children and wider society. Join us as we discuss the potential expansion of free school meals in England, looking at who currently receives them, what the potential benefits to children and society are from expanding this policy, and what we expect to happen next.

Overall success is heavily dependent on effective employee adoption, and without this, businesses struggle to see the true benefits of their time and financial investments. So, what insights can behavioural economics provide to help navigate change and get good habits to stick? And how did we apply these insights in practice to drive an 81% increase in employee adoption of technology within 2 months?