Economics in the News – June 22-28, 2026
Economics impacts our lives every day. Below are some of the top storylines from this past week related to economics.
o Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU) 10 years ago. The impact has left the British economy damaged, and economists suggest it has outweighed any benefits. While it’s hard to distinguish the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic from those of Brexit, economists suggest that Britain’s gross domestic product is between four and eight percent smaller than it would have been had it remained in the EU. A smaller GDP reduced tax revenues and slowed improvements in people’s standard of living. In addition, Britain’s Office for Budget Responsibility believes that Brexit will reduce the country’s long-term productivity.
Brits are having buyer’s remorse, too. A recent poll suggested that they are unhappy with Brexit and that half of the polltakers would support rejoining the European Union. Brexit had a major impact on trade, reducing Britain’s exports of goods and services to the European Union by 12 percent and imports by 16 percent. Many industries have been struggling with additional costs and disruptions to their labor force because immigrants from non-European Union countries have reshaped the labor market due to visa requirements and different skill sets. [The New York Times]
o What are the best investments over the last century? The top company over the last 100 years in terms of wealth creation is Apple, followed by Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon. Many of the top 20 companies on the list are newer – founded within the last three to four decades.
Since 2016, Apple and Nvidia have accounted for 10 percent of the wealth creation. It took five companies to achieve the same feat from 1926 to 2016. The explosive growth of tech stocks has led to a greater concentration of wealth creation. [The New York Times]
o East Africa is dealing with an Ebola outbreak. Two bordering countries are having different experiences. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there have been a reported 1,155 infections and 304 deaths. It marks the largest Ebola outbreak since 2014-16, an outbreak that killed 11,325 people in West Africa and is the deadliest on record. Response levels in Congo are lagging, and first responders say it’s too risky to trace the contacts of confirmed cases. In addition, family traditions of washing and burying the dead themselves, and locals convincing people that Ebola is a hoax, are aggravating the problem.
Uganda – a country that borders DR Congo – is having significantly more success in containing the outbreak. There have been only 20 confirmed cases and two deaths, and new cases have been sporadic. The World Health Organization guidelines require that Uganda must go 42 days without a new case before it’s declared Ebola-free and travel restrictions begin to lift. Uganda contained the virus through strict government protocols, including a ban on public gatherings, concerts, and other public events. [The Wall Street Journal]
o The US dollar has climbed five percent since the end of January, its highest value since May 2025. Investment in US artificial intelligence (AI) and the possibility that the Federal Reserve raises interest rates lured international investors.
Foreign investors have become increasingly wary of President Donald Trump’s unpredictable nature, but the AI boom is drawing them back in. A stronger dollar benefits American tourists who travel to Europe or Japan. However, multinational companies that rely on profits from abroad could see earnings decline. While higher interest rates are bad news for home buyers and business borrowers, they would yield higher returns for foreign investors compared to other developed markets. [The Washington Post]
o Major League Baseball is enjoying an unexpected increase in ticket sales this summer. Foreign visitors in the US for this summer’s World Cup are providing an attendance boost for MLB games. The World Cup is providing built-in marquee dates in the middle of the season, benefiting teams that don’t normally sell out. The Miami Marlins normally struggles at the gate, with crowds regularly less than 15,000 fans. But Scottish soccer fans recently made their presence felt, boosting attendance to more than 20,000 fans – marking the most for a Monday night game for the Marlins since 2017.
MLB teams are taking advantage. The Boston Red Sox built a promotional package that included a soccer-style jersey with a Red Sox logo. The team also had its mascot dress in a Scottish kilt, and the staff played bagpipes on the field. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers placed ads on billboards around the Dallas area in five different languages and gave away scarves and soccer-style jerseys. At New York’s Citi Field, Norwegian fans in Viking helmets led Viking row celebrations. [The Athletic]
