Michalis Nikiforos

For us economists this offers an interesting case study for theories of technological change and highlights the importance of demand growth and labor costs as fundamental determinants of productivity growth. 8/8

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On the other hand, these activities are characterized by low productivity and are associated with broader challenges such as environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and rising living costs (think of overtourism, Airbnb, etc.). 7/8

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The café economy presents a core dilemma. On the one hand, the Greek economy has become increasingly dependent on it as a key source of employment and foreign income. 6/8

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The recent adoption of the 13-hour workday goes in the same direction. 5/8

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In fact, the reduction in real wages (as a result of labor market reforms) has contributed to this productivity stagnation. Economic theory tells us that when labor is cheap, firms have little incentive to innovate or “save on labor” - it is cheaper to just hire more people. 4/8

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This outcome contradicts the stated goals of the numerous “structural reforms” adopted in Greece since 2010, which were intended to foster higher productivity growth. 3/8

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These were to begin with low productivity activities, whose productivity also has decreased around 40% over the last 15 years.
The transformation explains the decline and stagnation in the overall productivity which has not followed the economic recovery of the past decade. 2/8

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Here is a new paper on the structural transformation of the Greek economy into a “café economy”-an economy dominated by cafés (they are everywhere in Greece!), restaurants and tourism. 🧵

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Followed by brilliant work by @mnikiforos.bsky.social @cpierros.bsky.social & others on the incredible proliferation of the food/accommodation sector in Greece after the crisis, its contradictions & consequences that further undermine talk of “recovery” or expressed goals of the structural reforms.

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For the upcoming conference on "Ecological Planning in the Anthropocene" at the University of Geneva next September (25-26), we invite PhD candidates and early researchers to participate in the Young Scholar Forum, which will take place on the 24th September.

25.06.2025 11:03 — 👍 6    🔁 4    💬 2    📌 1

Distributional and Macroeconomic Effects of Trump 2.0 The most likely outcome of the second Trump administration is a recession and an exacerbation of inequalities, and a further degradation of the living standards of working and middle-class Americans.

Inequality, recession, and inflation? The likelihood of this happening under Trump 2.0 is high, argue Simon Grothe and Michalis Nikiforos
@mnikiforos.bsky.social www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives...

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The “Utilization Controversy”: Demand and Utilization in Alternative Theories of Economic Growth and Distribution | PKES

Here is a new paper on the theory and empirics of capacity utilization, and its role in the theories of growth and distribution. Forthcoming in the Handbook of Alternative Theories of Growth (2nd edition; edited by M. Setterfield).

www.postkeynesian.net/working-pape...

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