IMF Survey Magazine: IMF Research

IMFSurvey Magazine: IMF Research

Wine cellar in Capian in southwestern France. In 2013 the city of Dijon in France sold off half of its municipal wine cellar to help fund social spending. (photo: Newscom)

Countries Explore Sales of Nonfinancial Assets to Help Reduce Debt

May 08, 2013

Governments across the world are exploring whether they could use their nonfinancial assets, such as land and buildings, to help ease their deficit and debt burdens. Yet according to a new IMF study, it is still unclear how much revenue the asset sales can really yield.

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Policy Actions Improve Prospects for Global Economy

April 16, 2013
The global economy is expected to continue mending gradually, says the IMF, whose latest forecast of economic growth projects 3.3 percent growth in 2013, and 4 percent in 2014. But with old dangers remaining and new risks emerging, policymakers cannot afford to relax their efforts.

Low-Income Countries Show Comeback in Growth Performance

April 09, 2013
Low-income countries have bounced back in the past two decades. Analysis in the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) suggests that dynamic low-income countries are on a stronger economic footing today than before the 1990s, and therefore better placed to stay on course.

How Labor Markets Can Support Workers, Economic Growth

March 29, 2013
Advanced economies face the task of putting millions of people back to work and getting the young started in their careers. A new IMF discussion paper focuses on the design of labor market policies and institutions to reduce average unemployment rates and boost medium-run growth.

Modest Growth Pickup in 2013, Projects IMF

January 23, 2013
Global growth will strengthen gradually in 2013, says the IMF in an update to its World Economic Outlook, as the constraints on economic activity start to ease this year. But the recovery is slow, and the report stresses that policies must address downside risks to bolster growth.

Growth Is Key to Job Creation, IMF Conference Finds

November 21, 2012
How economic policy can reverse the sharp and persistent rise of unemployment since the start of the Great Recession was the focus of an IMF economic research conference. Participants discussed critical labor market problems to figure out the best way to create jobs and reduce inequality.

Resource-rich Countries Can Seize Opportunities, IMF

October 10, 2012
Well-designed and implemented fiscal regimes for natural resources can make a substantial contribution to the revenue needs of many developing countries.

Vigilance Needed to Strengthen Public Finances

October 09, 2012
In many advanced economies, efforts to reduce debts and deficits will need to persist for many years for debt ratios to return to pre-crisis levels. The IMF’s Fiscal Monitor recommends large economies like the United States and Japan act in a timely manner to clear policy uncertainties.

History Offers Tips for Getting a Handle on Public Debt

September 27, 2012
Countries battling high public debt must combine policies that support economic growth with lasting changes in government spending and taxation, a chapter in the IMF’s World Economic Outlook concludes, amid widespread debate about the best way for governments to reduce public debt.

Possible Trade-off Between Growth, Safety in Financial Sector

September 25, 2012
With policymakers aiming for safer financial systems in the wake of the global crisis, the International Monetary Fund examines in a new study the extent to which safer financial structures are tied to good economic growth outcomes. With policymakers aiming for safer financial systems, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) examines in a new study the extent to which safer financial structures are tied to good economic growth outcomes.

Global Debt Crisis Is Far from Over, Conference Hears

September 18, 2012
The sources of the recent global financial turmoil, how best to detect a financial crisis before it is too late to take remedial action, and the consequences of an attendant surge in public debt are among key issues economists and policymakers ponder four years after the onset of the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Managing Public Finances Is Vital to Economic Prosperity

April 16, 2013
Across the world many countries are now grappling with restoring sound and sustainable public finances: the way governments manage their budgets today will have profound economic effects in the years ahead.

Inflation Likely to Remain Stable, IMF Study Concludes

April 09, 2013
In contrast to previous recessions, inflation has not fallen sharply during the Great Recession, and it is unlikely to spike as the recovery strengthens, according to a new study by the IMF. There is little risk of monetary policy repeating the mistakes of the 1970s and igniting stagflation.

History Sheds Light on Governments’ Fiscal Policy Decisions

January 28, 2013
As policymakers across the world are assessing the need for spending cuts and tax increases against the risk of triggering a new recession, a look back at history provides insights from those who grappled with similar challenges in past decades.

High Government Debt Threatens Growth Prospects

January 08, 2013
Policymakers in advanced economies will have to resolve the problem of high government debt or they may face low growth prospects, a panel tells the American Economic Association conference. The gathering hears that debt levels have exploded across the advanced economies since the financial crisis.

Commodity Prices Rebound on Supply Shortfalls

October 12, 2012
Commodity prices, led by food and energy, leapt 10 percent in the third quarter due to supply constraints, according to the latest IMF research.

IMF Sees Heightened Risks Sapping Slower Global Recovery

October 09, 2012
The IMF’s latest forecast presents a gloomier picture of the global economy than a few months ago, saying prospects have deteriorated further and risks increased. Overall, the IMF’s World Economic Outlook marks down global growth to 3.3 percent this year and a still sluggish 3.6 percent in 2013.

Emerging, Developing Economies Now More Resilient

September 27, 2012
Many emerging and developing economies did well over the past decade and through the global financial crisis. Analysis in the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook suggests this resilience is likely to continue, but governments will need to ensure adequate policy space.

Safer Global Financial System Still Under Construction, Says IMF

September 25, 2012
A host of regulatory reforms are under way around the world to make the financial system safer, but a study by the International Monetary Fund shows that there is still a lot of work to do by regulators, supervisors, and the private sector to put the system on a firmer footing.

IMF Develops New Template for Labor Market Analysis

September 24, 2012
Unprecedented high and persistent unemployment across the globe has called for strengthened analysis of labor markets in the context of macroeconomic surveillance. To support this effort, the IMF has developed a template that allows country teams to analyze and project key labor market indicators.

Global House Prices Still Showing Down Trend

September 17, 2012
U.S. house prices have started to pick up but globally prices are still on a down trend, according to IMF research. Price trends vary widely between countries, with Ireland, Greece, Portugal, and Spain seeing the biggest falls in the past year and Brazil and Germany, substantial increases.

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