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Although it is still far from the 2% target rate, inflation in both the euro area and the US has fallen steadily throughout 2023, and one of the key assumptions in our 2024 outlook is that it will continue to do so next year, facilitating the first interest rate cuts by the Fed and the ECB. But how robust is this disinflationary assumption? How much of a hurry are the central banks in to lower rates?

The arrival of COVID-19 has had a huge impact on many social and economic spheres; where and how we work is just one of them. Until now, offices had been a place for people to work, meet up and socialise, all activities which, thanks to technology, can still be carried out remotely. Has the coronavirus sounded the death knell for the office?

COVID-19 and the social distancing measures imposed to curb its spread have forced a large number of people to telework. This is a practice which has been somewhat uncommon in our society to date, but which will no doubt persist long beyond the current pandemic. The shift from going to the office – where a large number of tasks are carried out that could easily be performed remotely – to teleworking has ramifications in many areas, ranging from the purely economic to the social. In this article, we focus on the economic sphere, and particularly on the impact of teleworking on productivity.