The IMF is fully committed to supporting our member countries, particularly the most vulnerable; we have the tools to help; and we are coordinating closely with our partner institutions.
Central banks conduct monetary policy to achieve price stability, but decisions also have effects on labor-market outcomes. In this paper, we identify exogenous monetary shocks with the ‘interest rate surprise’ approach based on high-frequency changes in forward-looking interest rates and use daily data on online job vacancy postings to investigate the impact of monetary policy on labor markets in three European countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) during the period 2018–2024. Our results indicate that monetary policy exerts significant and durable effects on labor-market conditions as measured by online job vacancy postings in our sample of countries. First, a contractionary (expansionary) monetary policy shock leads to a persistent decline (increase) in online job vacancy postings. Across all countries, the average effect amounts to about 2 percent in 15 days after a contractionary monetary policy shock (i.e., an unanticipated increase of 1 percentage point in short-term interest rates). Second, there is significant heterogeneity in the magnitude and persistence of how monetary policy affects the labor market across three countries in our sample, varying from 0.5 percent in Latvia to 2 percent in Estonia and 3.2 percent in Lithuania. Taken together, these results are both of direct concern for policymakers and important for the transmission of monetary policy.
This note provides general guidance on Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) operations, including for arrangement requests and reviews. The RSF provides longer-term, affordable financing to members to help them address risks to prospective BOP stability stemming from longer-term macro critical structural challenges from climate change and pandemic preparedness. The note has benefited from early experience gained during the operationalization of the RSF; the outcome of the May 2024 RST Interim Review; the launch of the Enhanced Cooperation Framework for Scaled Up Climate Action with the World Bank; and the approval of Broad Cooperation Principles on Pandemic Preparedness in RSF operations with the World Bank and the World Health Organization.
Special drawing rights are providing an important boost for countries that need one, but greater support is encouraged to strengthen our unique lending tools
In the most vulnerable countries, strengthening state capacity must adapt to more frequent economic shocks, greater political instability, and fewer resources
Although global debt recorded another significant decline in 2022, it is still high, with debt sustainability remaining a concern
The August 2021 allocation of special drawing rights supported countries amid recovery from the pandemic—and continues to offer benefits
The economic gains from $272 billion in pandemic support for 94 countries were strongest in the poorest and more vulnerable recipients of IMF concessional financing
Following exceptional pandemic support, governments should foster disinflation and financial stability while protecting the most vulnerable and safeguarding public finances
With shock upon shock hitting the world economy in the last three years, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva's customary opening speech to the Annual Meetings warned of a darker global outlook and emphasized the need for the world to come together to deal with the consequences.
