The global economy didn’t get much room to breathe in 2025. Trade disputes resurfaced in new forms, with the US and China circling each other through tariffs, tech restrictions and shifting supply chains. Markets lurched when the AI boom lost momentum as investors struggled to make sense of rapid advances, uneven adoption and sudden shifts in market confidence. Leadership changes in the US, Canada, Germany, Poland and beyond added another layer of uncertainty.

Geopolitics kept pressure high. Conflict between India and Pakistan and exchanges between Iran and Israel had already unsettled markets, and the halting of the Gaza–Israel conflict eased only part of that pressure.

As this year’s Economics Editor, I’ve brought together five pieces that, in my view, capture the year’s biggest shifts and clearest insights. Consider it a TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) of the section – the kind you can read without needing any economics background.

Charlotte Wejchert speaks with ServiceNow’s chief people and AI enablement officer, offering insight into how the company is approaching AI in the workplace. Her interview looks closely at how ServiceNow, an industry leader in AI services, is adjusting their expectations for new hires, and how quickly the idea of a ‘first job’ is changing. It does a great job of giving readers a grounded sense of how AI is reshaping opportunity for millennials and Gen Z alike.

Zirong Xu brings attention to the labour force that supports one of the world’s most efficient economies, Singapore. By talking directly with workers, he gives a grounded view of how migration, wages and employment policy play out in real life. The piece adds a layer of honesty to discussions about growth, reminding us that economic achievement always has a human foundation.

In this feature, I look at why so many countries have joined the expanded BRICS+ bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others) and what they hope to gain from it. The article outlines the benefits and motivations behind the shift and how countries across the Global South are gaining more influence in a world economy that has long been dominated by the West.

Harbingers’ 2024 Economics Editor, Camilla Savelieva, traces Argentina’s long economic decline, focusing on the country’s rampant inflation and debt problems, both of which shaped its current challenges. She provides a clear view of how a country once considered prosperous struggled to maintain stability and why recovery has remained so difficult.

It’s been a busy and rewarding year for the Economics section, with contributions that stretched across regions, industries and lived experiences. Choosing only five wasn’t a simple task, as each article contributed something valuable to the way in which we understood this year.

I’m grateful for the work our writers put in, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the section goes next – and to the new directions it will take under its next editor in 2026.