Dr. Tobias Thomas

Prof. Dr. Tobias Thomas

March 6, 2025, 1:00 pm note time change to accommodate presenter - Consulate NYC Restaurant - 44 West 56th Street

The presentation:
Europe's Economy at a Crossroads: Recovery After Several Crises or Stuck in Stagnation?
After several crises, from the coronavirus pandemic to the inflation and energy crisis to the current recession in several major economies (e.g. Germany), the European economy is at a crossroads: will there be a recovery or is further stagnation on the horizon? Growth rates are uneven across the continent, with some countries performing better than others. In addition, the economic outlook remains uncertain due to geopolitical tensions and political changes in many countries around the globe. European foreign trade, particularly with the US, China and other markets, could be a key factor in the economic recovery. However, trade tensions and lower global growth prospects are dampening hopes of a rapid export-driven turnaround. Aside from short-term uncertainties, the European economy faces a number of structural challenges, which are emphasized in Mario Draghi's latest report on the future of European competitiveness. For example, the noticeable decline in parts of industry, demographic change with its impact on labor markets and social security as well as declining productivity growth call for structural reforms. 

Short Bio
Tobias Thomas is Professor of Economics at the Graz Schumpeter Centre (GSC) of the University of Graz, Vice Chairman of the Austrian Council of Economic Advisors (“Austrian Productivity Board”) and Director General of the Austrian Federal Statistical Office (“Statistics Austria”). At international level, he is a representative at the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), the United Nations Conference of European Statisticians (UNCES), the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP) and the Committee on the European Statistical System (ESSC). After studying economics at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and the Technische Universität Berlin, Thomas gained his doctorate summa cum laude at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg, where he later completed his habilitation. Thomas was a visiting scholar at, among others, Columbia University in New York at the invitation of Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz and Anya Schiffrin. Thomas gained further experience in management positions and in consulting in the private and public sectors. He regularly presents his research findings at conferences and in specialist journals and is regularly featured in national and international media. In 2024, he was quoted 1,699 times in the media.