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cover of episode Does the average American have fewer than three friends?

Does the average American have fewer than three friends?

2025/6/4
logo of podcast More or Less: Behind the Stats

More or Less: Behind the Stats
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
L
Lizzie McNeill
M
Madeleine Sumption
M
Mark Zuckerberg
创立Facebook和Meta的美国商人，致力于推动社交媒体和元宇宙技术的发展。
R
Rob Howard
Topics
Madeleine Sumption: 市长Sadiq Khan引用了真实数据，但他的描述存在偏差。他将技术移民与英国技术工人进行比较是不准确的，正确的比较对象应为英国成年人的平均水平，这其中包含了非就业者和低收入人群。实际上，从事同等技术工作的移民和英国公民，若收入达到一定水平，都会对公共财政产生积极影响。然而，技术移民的家庭成员通常会对财政产生负面影响，这与英国公民的家庭情况类似，因为家庭中可能包含不纳税的儿童和领取养老金的老年人。因此，评估技术移民对财政的真正影响，应着重考察他们的收入水平，而非简单地比较移民和本地居民的贡献差异。我强调，净移民数量的减少不一定会对公共财政造成负面影响，更关键的是关注移民的质量，特别是他们的收入水平。当前净移民减少的主要原因是国际学生的家庭成员和护理人员的减少，这些群体对财政的影响相对有限，因此整体影响可能并不显著。

Deep Dive

Shownotes Transcript

Tim Harford is here to sprinkle a refreshing shower of statistical insight over the parched lawns of misinformation.

This week, we try to unpick the confusion over a claim made by London Mayor Sadiq Khan about the contribution skilled immigrants make to the nation?s finances.

Mark Zuckerberg says that the average American has fewer than 3 friends. Is he right?

Two doctors claim that up to 90% of Alzheimer?s disease can be prevented. Are they wrong?

And Tim interviews an American, Catholic, philosopher of religion called Robert Prevost. Is he the pope?

If you?ve seen a number in the news you think we should look at, email the team ? [email protected]

More or Less is produced in partnership with the Open University.

Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Producers: Nicholas Barrett and Nathan Gower Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Nigel Appleton Editor: Richard Vadon