John Burn-Murdoch
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com
Columnist and chief data reporter the Financial Times | Stories, stats & scatterplots | john.burn-murdoch@ft.com
📝 ft.com/jbm
📝 ft.com/jbm
Pinned
We’re going to hear lots of stories about which people, policies and rhetoric are to blame for the Democrats’ defeat.
Some of those stories may even be true!
But an underrated factor is that 2024 was an absolutely horrendous year for incumbents around the world 👇 
Some of those stories may even be true!
But an underrated factor is that 2024 was an absolutely horrendous year for incumbents around the world 👇 
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Zohran's relentless disciplined campaign was truly impressive - he brought every message/issue back to the cost of living and built a model for what bringing attention to a positive affordability message can look like
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Ali Mortell on X: ".@ZohranKMamdani ran a phenomenal, authentic campaign focused on affordability. Blue Rose Research is proud to have partnered with @MiddleSeatCo on ad testing and to support their work in helping build the momentum for a more affordable New York. LFG 🌹 https://t.co/0HLenkSSrv" / X
.@ZohranKMamdani ran a phenomenal, authentic campaign focused on affordability. Blue Rose Research is proud to have partnered with @MiddleSeatCo on ad testing and to support their work in helping build the momentum for a more affordable New York. LFG 🌹 https://t.co/0HLenkSSrv
x.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Zohran's relentless disciplined campaign was truly impressive - he brought every message/issue back to the cost of living and built a model for what bringing attention to a positive affordability message can look like
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
NEW from me:
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
October 31, 2025 at 2:32 PM
NEW from me:
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
2nd edition of our The AI Shift newsletter is out. The question today: could AI be making us LESS productive? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com www.ft.com/content/2480... At the individual level, it's clear we're not reliable witnesses on this Q. At an organisational level, it gets even more interesting...
October 30, 2025 at 1:11 PM
2nd edition of our The AI Shift newsletter is out. The question today: could AI be making us LESS productive? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com www.ft.com/content/2480... At the individual level, it's clear we're not reliable witnesses on this Q. At an organisational level, it gets even more interesting...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Read the headlines and you’ll see wildly different conclusions about whether AI is taking jobs or not. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com break down what the data actually shows in their new newsletter The AI Shift. It's free to read here: on.ft.com/4niHdxo
October 23, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Read the headlines and you’ll see wildly different conclusions about whether AI is taking jobs or not. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com break down what the data actually shows in their new newsletter The AI Shift. It's free to read here: on.ft.com/4niHdxo
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Exciting day: one of my fave colleagues @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and I are teaming up on a weekly newsletter to track what's really happening with AI & the labour market. No hype, just spreadsheets & shoe-leather. You can sign up here to get the first edition at lunchtime today! ft.com/AIshift
Login
ft.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Exciting day: one of my fave colleagues @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and I are teaming up on a weekly newsletter to track what's really happening with AI & the labour market. No hype, just spreadsheets & shoe-leather. You can sign up here to get the first edition at lunchtime today! ft.com/AIshift
Wild story.
The US Federal Reserve has long used additional data from payroll-processing company ADP to buttress official jobs numbers.
During the shutdown this third party data is extra important for filling the gap.
And ADP has stopped sharing the data.
www.wsj.com/economy/cent...
The US Federal Reserve has long used additional data from payroll-processing company ADP to buttress official jobs numbers.
During the shutdown this third party data is extra important for filling the gap.
And ADP has stopped sharing the data.
www.wsj.com/economy/cent...
October 22, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Wild story.
The US Federal Reserve has long used additional data from payroll-processing company ADP to buttress official jobs numbers.
During the shutdown this third party data is extra important for filling the gap.
And ADP has stopped sharing the data.
www.wsj.com/economy/cent...
The US Federal Reserve has long used additional data from payroll-processing company ADP to buttress official jobs numbers.
During the shutdown this third party data is extra important for filling the gap.
And ADP has stopped sharing the data.
www.wsj.com/economy/cent...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
New post just out:
"On the edge"
On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...
"On the edge"
On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...
On the edge
My week in the NHS
open.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 8:14 AM
New post just out:
"On the edge"
On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...
"On the edge"
On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Grid scale batteries are changing our electricity system. Excellent new visual story on batteries in FT today shows just how far this technology has evolved.
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
October 13, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Grid scale batteries are changing our electricity system. Excellent new visual story on batteries in FT today shows just how far this technology has evolved.
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:08 AM
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Incredibly useful new story by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com on the 'crisis' for young college grads. Most analyses compare mid-20s workers with/without a degree. But as John points out, the relevant comparison group is actually *new entrants* with/without a degree - most non-degree workers enter at 18-19.
What the graduate unemployment story gets wrong
People with a degree are faring better, not worse than their non-graduate counterparts
www.ft.com
October 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Incredibly useful new story by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com on the 'crisis' for young college grads. Most analyses compare mid-20s workers with/without a degree. But as John points out, the relevant comparison group is actually *new entrants* with/without a degree - most non-degree workers enter at 18-19.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
"if anything employment outcomes are worsening more rapidly for those with fewer skills looking for blue-collar jobs than the highly skilled seeking knowledge work"
on.ft.com/43eYeRZ
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com as ever doing the essential work.
It's not just AI. And education still matters
on.ft.com/43eYeRZ
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com as ever doing the essential work.
It's not just AI. And education still matters
What the graduate unemployment story gets wrong
People with a degree are faring better, not worse than their non-graduate counterparts
on.ft.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:41 AM
"if anything employment outcomes are worsening more rapidly for those with fewer skills looking for blue-collar jobs than the highly skilled seeking knowledge work"
on.ft.com/43eYeRZ
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com as ever doing the essential work.
It's not just AI. And education still matters
on.ft.com/43eYeRZ
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com as ever doing the essential work.
It's not just AI. And education still matters
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Lead is leaching into the environment and lurking in our homes. It's in soil, in water, in food, in our housing.
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
October 9, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Lead is leaching into the environment and lurking in our homes. It's in soil, in water, in food, in our housing.
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Terrific weekend essay by @henrymance.bsky.social
How polarised is Britain?
Behind media perceptions of a sharpening political divide is a more complicated picture
www.ft.com
October 5, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Terrific weekend essay by @henrymance.bsky.social
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Not to make light of the editorial failure, but look how far Twitter lies now permeate in to normal discourse. We think we know about the racism but the utter contempt for truth since Musk bought the platform is deliberate & very dangerous. You can’t foment racism with fact checkers in the building.
Oh my god.
Have I Got News For You just referred to this completely false claim as a fact!!
Have I Got News For You just referred to this completely false claim as a fact!!
October 4, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Not to make light of the editorial failure, but look how far Twitter lies now permeate in to normal discourse. We think we know about the racism but the utter contempt for truth since Musk bought the platform is deliberate & very dangerous. You can’t foment racism with fact checkers in the building.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Spot the North-American anomaly: only region where social media use is still growing.
Great work by the FT’s @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/a072... “Have we passed peak social media?”
Great work by the FT’s @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/a072... “Have we passed peak social media?”
October 4, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Spot the North-American anomaly: only region where social media use is still growing.
Great work by the FT’s @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/a072... “Have we passed peak social media?”
Great work by the FT’s @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/a072... “Have we passed peak social media?”
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Have we passed peak social media? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com here www.ft.com/content/a072...
October 3, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Have we passed peak social media? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com here www.ft.com/content/a072...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Eeee the cover for the UK edition of How to Win a Trade War is out!
Pre-order your copy here...
www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Trad...
Pre-order your copy here...
www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Trad...
October 3, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Eeee the cover for the UK edition of How to Win a Trade War is out!
Pre-order your copy here...
www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Trad...
Pre-order your copy here...
www.amazon.co.uk/How-Win-Trad...
Excellent thread.
I’ve seen the same point made in the US, where the tight post-pandemic labour market saw significantly stronger wage growth among the lowest-paid workers, including hospitality, and sure enough the complaints about the cost of takeaway and eating out came flooding in.
I’ve seen the same point made in the US, where the tight post-pandemic labour market saw significantly stronger wage growth among the lowest-paid workers, including hospitality, and sure enough the complaints about the cost of takeaway and eating out came flooding in.
Ok, been waiting for this one, price rises for going out that affect so many of us... there's a lot of factors here but one of the main ones is... this is what we collectively chose... what do you think happens with more regulations and a higher minimum wage? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
What a £5 coffee (or a £100 Pizza Express) tells us about a changing Britain | Gaby Hinsliff
For many Gen Xers, it feels like we’re sliding back towards the land of our childhoods: where eating out was for special occasions, and Thermoses were king, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
www.theguardian.com
October 3, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Excellent thread.
I’ve seen the same point made in the US, where the tight post-pandemic labour market saw significantly stronger wage growth among the lowest-paid workers, including hospitality, and sure enough the complaints about the cost of takeaway and eating out came flooding in.
I’ve seen the same point made in the US, where the tight post-pandemic labour market saw significantly stronger wage growth among the lowest-paid workers, including hospitality, and sure enough the complaints about the cost of takeaway and eating out came flooding in.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
On the morning of Keir Starmer's conference speech here's a new post on an odd psychopathology in British politics - our main parties don't like the people who vote for them - the dreaded Professional Managerial Class. And so they are acting out like a divorced dad seeking cooler voters. 1/n
British Politics' Midlife Crisis
Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters
benansell.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 6:40 AM
On the morning of Keir Starmer's conference speech here's a new post on an odd psychopathology in British politics - our main parties don't like the people who vote for them - the dreaded Professional Managerial Class. And so they are acting out like a divorced dad seeking cooler voters. 1/n
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
My essay in this weekend's @ftweekend.com, featuring terrific charts and analysis by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com:
The truth about immigration
Ageing societies seeking to preserve living standards will continue to rely on new arrivals — but governments can be clearer about the trade-offs
www.ft.com
September 21, 2025 at 10:08 AM
My essay in this weekend's @ftweekend.com, featuring terrific charts and analysis by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com:
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
🚨 New working paper! 🚨
@grattonecon.bsky.social and I just completed the first draft of "The Rise and Fall of Technocratic Democracies". Excited to present it in Munich this week—thanks to Laura Seelkopf, Christoph Knill & others for hosting us! 🧵👇
▶️ Motivation
Many democracies have undergone a
@grattonecon.bsky.social and I just completed the first draft of "The Rise and Fall of Technocratic Democracies". Excited to present it in Munich this week—thanks to Laura Seelkopf, Christoph Knill & others for hosting us! 🧵👇
▶️ Motivation
Many democracies have undergone a
February 3, 2025 at 8:57 AM
🚨 New working paper! 🚨
@grattonecon.bsky.social and I just completed the first draft of "The Rise and Fall of Technocratic Democracies". Excited to present it in Munich this week—thanks to Laura Seelkopf, Christoph Knill & others for hosting us! 🧵👇
▶️ Motivation
Many democracies have undergone a
@grattonecon.bsky.social and I just completed the first draft of "The Rise and Fall of Technocratic Democracies". Excited to present it in Munich this week—thanks to Laura Seelkopf, Christoph Knill & others for hosting us! 🧵👇
▶️ Motivation
Many democracies have undergone a
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Shot, chaser
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
September 14, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Shot, chaser
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men