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Jan Mischke

McKinsey Global Institute PartnerZurich

Leads MGI’s research on productivity and prosperity

Dr. Jan Mischke is a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey’s business and economics research arm, based in Zurich. Since 2010, he has led MGI’s research on productivity and prosperity. This includes topics ranging from regional and country competitiveness and growth, particularly in Europe, to infrastructure, construction, and real estate, to global wealth and balance sheet health. Jan is a frequent speaker on these topics as well as on broader global trends.

Prior to joining MGI, Jan worked as a consultant with McKinsey for 10 years, serving clients across many different industries and countries.

Published work

Delivering on construction productivity is no longer optional,” McKinsey & Company, August 2024

Investment: Taking the pulse of European competitiveness,” McKinsey Global Institute, June 2024

A microscope on small businesses: The productivity opportunity by country,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2024

A microscope on small businesses: Spotting opportunities to boost productivity, McKinsey Global Institute, May 2024

"Investing in productivity growth," McKinsey Global Institute, March 2024

Accelerating Europe: Competitiveness for a new era,” McKinsey Global Institute, January 2024

Why the path of global wealth and growth matters for strategy,” McKinsey & Company, August 2023

Empty spaces and hybrid places: The pandemic’s lasting impact on real estate,” McKinsey Global Institute, July 2023

The future of wealth and growth hangs in the balance, McKinsey Global Institute, May 2023

Global balance sheet 2022: Enter volatility,” McKinsey Global Institute, December 2022

Securing Europe’s competitiveness: Addressing its technology gap,” McKinsey Global Institute, September 2022

Securing Europe’s future beyond energy: Addressing its corporate and technology gap,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2022

The rise and rise of the global balance sheet: How productively are we using our wealth?,” McKinsey Global Institute, November 2021

Lessons on resilience for small and midsize businesses,” Harvard Business Review, June 2021

What's next for consumers, workers, and companies in the post-COVID-19 recovery,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2021

Pathways for productivity and growth after the COVID-19 crisis,” VOX EU, May 2021

Productivity after the pandemic,” Project Syndicate, April 2021

The necessity of doing well by doing good,” The Milken Institute Review, April 2021

Will productivity and growth return after the COVID-19 crisis?,” McKinsey Global Institute, March 2021

The next normal in construction: How disruption is reshaping the world's largest ecosystem,” McKinsey & Company, June 2020

How construction can emerge stronger after coronavirus,” McKinsey & Company, May 2020

Reviving innovation in Europe,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2019

The declining labour share of income: Accounting for the main factors from a meso perspective,” VoxEU, July 2019 

Modular construction: From projects to products,” McKinsey & Company, June 2019

A new look at the declining labor share of income in the United States,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2019

Reinforcing Switzerland’s attractiveness to multinational companies,” McKinsey & Company, April 2019

Testing the resilience of Europe’s inclusive growth model,” McKinsey Global Institute, December 2018

The future of work: Switzerland’s digital opportunity,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2018

Solving the United Kingdom’s productivity puzzle in a digital age,” McKinsey Global Institute, September 2018

Europe’s refugees: Refocusing on integration,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2018

Strong aggregate demand: Critical for reaping benefits of digitisation,” VoxEU, March 2018

Solving the productivity puzzle: The role of demand and the promise of digitization,” McKinsey Global Institute, February 2018

The US economy is suffering from low demand,” Harvard Business Review, February 2018

Europe's economy: Three pathways to rebuilding trust and sustaining momentum,” McKinsey Global Institute, January 2018

Bridging infrastructure gaps: Has the world made progress?,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2017

Housing affordability: A supply-side tool kit for cities,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2017

Stimulating digital adoption in Germany,” McKinsey Global Institute, July 2017

Looking beyond finance,” The Business Times of Singapore, May 2017

The brightening mood of European business—and what it means for investment,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2017

New insights into the slowdown in US productivity growth,” McKinsey Global Institute, March 2017

How to make every dollar of infrastructure investment go further,” Harvard Business Review, March 2017

The construction industry has a productivity problem - and here's how to solve it,” MarketWatch, March 2017

Reinventing construction through a productivity revolution,” McKinsey Global Institute, February 2017

Exploding myths about the gig economy,” Vox, November, 2016

Closing California’s housing gap,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2016

Bridging global infrastructure gaps,” McKinsey Global Institute, June 2016

Secular stagnation and low investment: Breaking the vicious cycle—a discussion paper,” McKinsey Global Institute, April 2016

Moving Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil,” McKinsey Global Institute, December 2015

The infrastructure conundrum: Improving productivity,” McKinsey & Company, July 2015

A window of opportunity for Europe,” McKinsey Global Institute, June 2015

The World’s Housing Crisis Doesn’t Need a Revolutionary SolutionHarvard Business Review, December 2014

A dose of innovation to ease infrastructure strains?” McKinsey Quarterly, September 2014

Tackling the world’s affordable housing challenge,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2014

Beyond Korean style: Shaping a new growth formula,” McKinsey Global Institute, April 2013

Fixing the World’s Infrastructure ProblemsHarvard Business Review, April 2013

Infrastructure productivity: How to save $1 trillion a year,” McKinsey Global Institute, January 2013

Manufacturing the future: The next era of global growth and innovation,” McKinsey Global Institute, November 2012

French employment 2020: Five priorities for action,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2012

Trading myths: Addressing misconceptions about trade, jobs, and competitiveness,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 2012

European growth and renewal: The path from crisis to recovery,” McKinsey Global Institute, June 2011

Beyond austerity: A path to growth and renewal in Europe,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2010

Featured Op-eds

Paper wealth or wealth based on productivity – what happens next?, World Economic Forum, August 2023

Demand for urban real estate will be challenged for the rest of the decade. Here’s how the world’s superstar cities are projected to fare by 2030, Fortune, July 2023

Strengthening the global balance sheet, Project Syndicate, June 2023

McKinsey Global Institute sees 4 possible scenarios for the economy by 2030. Only one leads to long-term growth, Fortune, June 2023

Addressing Europe's corporate technology gap, Project Syndicate, May 2022

When more may be less, Milken Institute Review, April 2022

Global wealth has exploded. Are we using it wisely?, Barron's, November 2021

Bold ventures - China has the wealth to make investments to strengthen the social contract, address climate change and stimulate greater economic vitality, China Daily, November 2021

Lessons on resilience for small and midsize businesses, Harvard Business Review, June 2021

Five priorities to support economies after the COVID-19 crisis, OECD Forum, May 2021

Two key conditions for a post-pandemic economic recovery, World Economic Forum, May 2021

Pathways for productivity and growth after the COVID-19 crisis, VoxEU, May 2021

Productivity after the pandemic, Project Syndicate, April 2021

The necessity of doing well by doing good, Milken Institute Review, April 2021

Education

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich
PhD (Dr. sc.)

RWTH Aachen University
MSc, electrical and electronic engineering