globalEDGE Blog - Page 45

Throughout the past two fiscal quarters, the global markets have been in cahoots in relation to what is forthcoming for the world’s financial sectors. With the pandemic’s conclusion remaining unknown, the vulnerability of the global economy increases by the day.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that the world around us can change before our eyes.  In mid-March, people retreated to their homes, economies crawled to a halt, industries took massive hits, and countries rushed to develop policies to combat the spread of a virus many of us had never even heard of.  Now, in early September, many of us have settled into remote work, pushed off our travel plans, and adapted to practices like mask-wearing to adjust to living in the midst of a pandemic.  But what about the economy?  Let’s look at the recovery and state of the economies of a few countries around the world.

Five months after the coronavirus pandemic brought global activity to a screeching halt, we are still experiencing its effects and aftermath.  With such a drastic change in everyday life that occurred at what seemed like the snap of a finger, businesses everywhere have been forced to adapt to extremely challenging conditions.  As a result, several companies have come up with innovative ideas that have minimized risk and allowed their respective value chains to stay intact.

After a summer of internships, learning, and exploring, the globalEDGE team is returning for the 2020-2021 academic year.  We are eager to take on the challenges that a remote-learning environment poses and we look forward to providing our viewers with highly valuable and interesting information.  Look for the globalEDGE blog to return to its regular Monday through Thursday schedule starting next Monday, September 7th.

Another semester is coming to a close, and this marks the end of the academic year for the globalEDGE team.  This semester has brought with it significant and unique challenges that have forced our team, and people around the world, to adapt to a new lifestyle and embrace change as we never have before.  Through it all, we hope you were able to benefit from our perseverance and continue to glean useful knowledge from our blog posts and website resources.

With that, the globalEDGE blog will be taking a break from its regular schedule throughout the summer.  Until we return with exciting ideas and information in September, we hope our readers stay safe and we thank you for your interaction and viewership throughout the year. 

The United States is stagnant, with a limited number of individuals able to work and minute numbers leaving their homes.  Due to COVID-19, industries are taking a hit.  However, for the automotive industry, things are beginning to look up. In China, factories are attempting to restart their operations but with precautions. The automakers are checking employees for virus telltale fever, barring visitors, as well as having employees stay home if they have been in Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak. Employees who can sufficiently work from home are still suggested to do so.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about changes in lifestyle for populations around the globe.  People are staying home and avoiding travel, whether by choice or due to government restrictions. International travel, in particular, has stopped in its tracks.  As of March 31, the United States is under a Global Level 4 Health Advisory, with the state department recommending all citizens avoid international travel. Inevitably, travel-related industries have felt the impact of these changes.  Let’s look at how airlines and other hospitality businesses have been affected by the coronavirus.

As the spring semester begins to wind down at universities across the country, albeit via remote online-learning, colleges are already bracing for the worst this upcoming fall.  While it is the expectation that students should be able to return for in-person classes, it is difficult to make that confirmation given the nature of the coronavirus, as many in the public have speculated that it will be difficult to start-up in-person classes on-time given future waves of the virus.  A select number of schools, including Boston University, have already discussed suspending in-person classes through the end of 2020.  In the event that online learning is continued, there will be a long list of academic and economical ramifications that come, which could not only indefinitely change the way higher education is operated, but also impact the communities surrounding them.

The most important thing to do in times of isolation is to still have some kind of connection. People are searching out their friends and family through video chat to check in and push towards having connections. Whether it’s FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or another one of the hundreds of different video calling platforms, everyone seems to have a personal favorite. Video chatting is now becoming an essential part of society. And because of this, the video conferencing market is seeing an increase in consumption.

The coronavirus outbreak has spread into countries all across the globe. Despite international efforts to engage in social distancing, the number of people with the virus has continued to rise. The coronavirus, which is most dangerous to the elderly, has now has infected over one and a half million people globally. It has been the cause of a massive shutdown of businesses, as well as a massive drop in the stock market.