The direct economic harm caused by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in highly vaccinated countries appears so far to be relatively modest and short-lived, but its indirect hit could prove significant if China resorts to repeated lockdowns in its effort to suppress the virus within its borders. Omicron led to a fresh surge in infections … Read more
The number of workers taking time off because they were sick with Covid-19—or caring for someone else who was—surged at the beginning of the year, topping another leading cause for missing work: caring for children who were out of school because of the pandemic. A major difference between January 2021’s surge and the one last … Read more
Books on current business or economic events that aim for a popular audience usually gravitate toward a now-standard strategy. The “Barbarians at the Gate” technique—inspired by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar’s 1989 book chronicling the takeover of RJR Nabisco by leveraged buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.—serves up a fast-paced, moment-by-moment account of a … Read more