Economics

France - Following President Emmanuel Macron election, there were high hopes in France that their economy would rise and prosper. According to the French government, unemployment has gone down. The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) has contradicted them. INSEE stated that unemployment rose to 9.2% in the first quarter. Youth unemployment rate decreased from 21.60 to 21.50. Chief Investment Officer, Lorne Baring, has said that Europe has been affected all over, not just in France.                 If the unemployment rate keeps increasing, then it is going to keep damaging France’s economy. Not being able to work also hurts the population. Either, people won’t be able to maintain their standard of living, or the standard of living could decrease. People will find ways to sustain their basic needs. For the youth that are unemployed, they can’t pay for college. If they don’t have highe...

Kenya- MasterCard and Unilever have teamed up to create Jaza Duka ("fill up your stores") in Kenya. Their new partnership will help micro entrepreneurs grow their businesses with micro-lending. MasterCard and Unilever analyse the store by how much inventory it has bought over time with Unilever. This allows for a micro credit and if it gets approved by the KCB Bank Kenya, the store is qualified for an interest free credit line. The entrepreneurs will also get tips on how to run their business smoothly. Such as marketing tools and techniques, finances, supply and demand planning.  Personally, I believe this is a great start for micro entrepreneurs. It's already hard enough to start and maintain a business. 80% of new businesses fail within the first 18 months. Having store owners in Kenya can help out its economy. Something I didn't understand fully, is what happens if the store owner doesn't pay back the credit they owe? What would the penalties look like for t...