Sybrand Brekelmans | Bruegel

Former scholars

Sybrand Brekelmans

Research Assistant

Sybrand is a Dutch national and a research assistant at Bruegel since September 2019. He holds a Master's Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis in macroeconomic policy and financial markets from the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (BGSE). Prior to that, he completed a BSc in Economics and Mathematics at the University of Utrecht. His research interests include international trade, monetary policy, and empirical techniques such as complexity analysis and macroeconometrics.

Prior to Bruegel, Sybrand has worked at the OECD Development Centre where he was part of the Asia Desk. He was involved in the drafting of the unit's biannual flagship publication: The Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India. He contributed to the publication on topics such as international and regional trade, monetary policy, and infrastructure development policy. Among others, he worked on trade-related issues, focusing on the trade war between the United-States and China and its impact on the Southeast Asian economies.

Sybrand is fluent in Dutch, French, and English and speaks German at a basic level.

Blog Post

Inclusive growth

Job polarisation and the Great Recession

A job polarisation trend has seen relatively more workers in the European Union employed in skilled and unskilled jobs, while mid-skilled jobs have been squeezed. Since the Great Recession, the supply of university graduates has risen, but the labour market’s demand for skills has not kept up. Graduates have, however, fared better than less-educated workers in terms of wages.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans and Georgios Petropoulos Topic: Inclusive growth, Macroeconomic policy Date: November 3, 2020

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Blog Post

Debt relief for Sub-Saharan Africa: what now?

When G20 finance heads meet on 18 July, Europe will again need to lead on the group’s flagship COVID-19 initiative to postpone low-income countries’ debt service payments. For the first time, China has agreed to participate as an official creditor alongside members of the Paris Club. However, continuing lack of clarity on which Chinese creditors will participate, coupled with resistance from private sector creditors to voluntary participation, suggest that actual relief will be much less than originally planned.

By: Suman Bery, Sybrand Brekelmans, Alicia García-Herrero and alihan Topic: Global economy and trade Date: July 14, 2020

Blog Post

Inclusive growth

Artificial intelligence’s great impact on low and middle-skilled jobs

Artificial intelligence and machine learning will significantly transform low-skilled jobs that have not yet been negatively affected by past technological change.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans, Georgios Petropoulos and alihan Topic: Digital economy and innovation, Inclusive growth Date: June 29, 2020

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Working Paper

Occupational change, artificial intelligence and the geography of EU labour markets

From 2002 up to 2009, the economies of European Union countries went through a skill upgrading, rather than a polarisation between low-skill and high-skill jobs. After 2009, this changed, with declining real wages and a significant increase in the share of workers in low-skill jobs. This assessment evaluates these changes in connection with labour market variables, population densities and the emergence of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans, Georgios Petropoulos and alihan Topic: Digital economy and innovation Date: June 15, 2020

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Blog Post

The revived centrality of the G20

Much was expected from the meeting of G20 Finance officials earlier this month. In the event the meeting decided on a standstill of the poorest countries’ debt service but failed to agree on a fresh allocation of the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). We argue that this is a reasonable outcome under the circumstances even if more could have been done, and that the G20 is again at center-stage in global economic cooperation.

By: Suman Bery, Sybrand Brekelmans and alihan Topic: Global economy and trade Date: April 28, 2020

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Blog Post

EU trade in medical goods: why self-sufficiency is the wrong approach

As countries are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages in medical equipment led to EU export controls and war-time like procurement of respirators. While the crisis is still unfolding, there is a debate on whether the EU is too reliant on global value chains for medical goods. Looking at the world market of medical goods for the EU, we argue that self-sufficiency is the wrong approach. Global medical markets are to the benefits of the EU and stockpiling and preparation are more effective in preparing for emergencies.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans, Niclas Poitiers and Bruegel Topic: Global economy and trade Date: April 14, 2020

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Blog Post

The case for a derivative market programme

The implementation of a Derivative Market Programme could reaffirm the ECB’s credibility and strong commitment to price stability.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans, Francesco Papadia and Bruegel Topic: Banking and capital markets Date: March 18, 2020

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Blog Post

What is fuelling the Dutch house price boom?

Housing prices have been rising fast in the West of the Netherlands in the last five years. However, mortgages outstanding have remained flat, raising the question of what has driven the increase. Evidence suggests that housing supply constraints have, this time around, played a role in pushing the house prices up.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans and alihan Topic: Macroeconomic policy Date: February 19, 2020

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Blog Post

Implications of the Japan – United States Mini Trade Agreement

Details of the US-Japan mini-trade deal are lacking but the agreements’ direct impact on the US and Japanese economies is likely to be minuscule. The deal seems to have been made to compensate American farmers – a crucial electoral base of the President – for their losses from the trade war with China.

By: Sybrand Brekelmans, Uri Dadush and Bruegel Topic: Global economy and trade Date: October 11, 2019