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 Solution” Harvard 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 Problems” Harvard 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
