In lockdowns, why do some people stay home, while others violate the quarantine rules and go out for picnics in the park? Behavioural economics may provide the answer to this question. Oksana Zinchenko, a Research Fellow of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, explains how we can predict people’s behaviour with game theory.

Due to timely price and time adjustments on the Russian labour market, the need for worker layoffs was much less than it could have been under other conditions. This is the finding of a study conducted by the Centre for Labour Market Studies and the Office for Expert Analysis at HSE University. At the same time, the study also shows that more than half of Russians surveyed reported that their earnings have decreased significantly.

Sweden is the only country of the European Union that has not taken strict measures against the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s COVID-19 death rate is growing, unemployment is close to record high levels and GDP could fall by 10%. But does this prove that Sweden’s strategy is ineffective? The HSE School of World Economy invited experts to assess its implications for Swedish society.