IMF Country Focus

• Kurzarbeit: Germany’s Short-Time Work Benefit

  June 15, 2020

  

  The COVID-19 pandemic has generated renewed interest in short-time work programs—the state-sponsored work-sharing schemes aimed at saving jobs. Kurzarbeit, Germany’s short-time work program, is widely considered the gold standard of such programs.

• Helping Bangladesh Recover from COVID-19

  June 12, 2020

  

  One of the most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh exemplifies the triple blow that many emerging market countries have suffered from COVID-19: domestic slowdown caused by the disease and the efforts to contain its spread; a sharp decline in exports, particularly in the ready-made garment sector, and a drop in remittances. Its once robust economy has dramatically slowed in recent months.

• Sweden: Will COVID-19 Economics be Different?

  June 4, 2020

  

  Sweden’s less restrictive containment strategy may have resulted in a milder economic contraction at the onset of the crisis, but uncertainty remains about its implications for the rest of the year.

• Jamaica Ramps Up Social and Economic Support in COVID-19 Response

  May 28, 2020

  

  The COVID-19 crisis is having a significant impact on Jamaica. The pandemic, which is severely hurting tourism and remittances, reached the Caribbean country just a few months after the successful conclusion of its economic reform program—which was supported by a $1.66 billion Stand-By Arrangement from the IMF.

• Pacific Islands Threatened by COVID-19

  May 27, 2020

  

  Already among the most remote countries on earth, Pacific island states saw their vital economic links weakened in recent months with the evaporation of tourism, severe disruptions to international trade, and a reduction in remittances. For these countries, the COVID-19 pandemic may cut deeper than even some of the worst cyclones from years past.

• The IMF's Support for Uganda's Health Care, Most Vulnerable, Businesses, and Stability

  May 22, 2020

  

  The coronavirus pandemic has hit Uganda’s economy and population severely. The country faces a significant contraction in economic activity, including a drop in domestic demand, supply disruption, and a decline in foreign direct investment and remittances.

• COVID-19 Poses Formidable Threat for Fragile States in the Middle East and North Africa

  May 13, 2020

  

  All countries are struggling with COVID-19, but the threat is even more alarming for countries that are fragile and in conflict situations. A swift, coordinated response from the international community is necessary to avoid the worst.

• IMF Offers Emergency Support to the Balkans

  May 12, 2020

  

  The emerging economies of South-Eastern Europe that are not part of the EU, where incomes are lower, and social safety nets less developed, are particularly vulnerable to the economic and social impact of COVID-19.

• Ethiopia Steps Up Health Spending With Help From IMF Emergency Assistance

  May 6, 2020

  

  The IMF has approved US$411 million in emergency assistance for Ethiopia to help fight the coronavirus pandemic in the east African country. It also approved Ethiopia’s request for a suspension of debt service payments of about US$12 million through October under the IMF's Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust for poor countries.

• Connectedness of the Dutch Economy Leads to Lower GDP Growth Forecast

  May 4, 2020

  

  The Netherlands has one of the most internationally integrated economies inthe world. This interdependence makes the country especially vulnerable to a global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  

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