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Europe > Iceland

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 27 items for :

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  • Labour; income economics x
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Cover IMF Working Papers
Firm Leverage and Boom-Bust Cycles
Can Sever
This paper explores the dynamic relationship between firm debt and real outcomes using data from 24 European economies over the period of 2000-2018. Based on macro data, it shows that a rise in credit to firms is associated with an increase in employment growth in the short-term, but employment growth declines in the medium-term. This pattern remains similar, even when the changes in credit to households are accounted for. Next, using data from a large sample of firms, it shows that firm leverage buildups predict similar boom-bust growth cycles in firm employment: Firms with a larger increase in leverage experience a boost in employment growth in the short-term, but employment growth decreases in the medium-term. Relatedly, the volatility of employment growth increases in the aftermath of firm leverage buildups. Finally, this paper provides suggestive evidence on the role of a financial channel in the relationship between firm leverage buildups and employment growth. The results show that a rise in firm leverage is associated with a persistently higher debt service ratio, pointing the drag on finances. Consistently, boom-bust growth cycles in the aftermath of firm leverage buildups are not limited to employment growth, but are also pronounced for investment. Moreover, the medium-term decline in firm employment growth as predicted by leverage buildups becomes even larger if aggregate financial conditions tighten. The findings are in favor of “lean against the wind” approach in policy making.
Keywords:
Firm leverage; firm debt; household debt; leverage cycles; employment; investment; boom-bust cycles; ORBIS; leverage buildup; employment growth; leverage cycle; growth cycle; cycles in the aftermath; Business cycles; Credit; Consumer credit; Credit booms; Europe; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: 2022 Article IV Consultation - Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This 2022 Article IV Consultation discusses that Iceland has weathered recent shocks to the economy relatively well. Well-designed policy measures and a solid health system eased the impact of the pandemic, allowing real gross domestic product and employment to recover strongly. Robust domestic demand and favorable terms of trade boosted output growth to 4.3 percent in 2021, despite slower recovery in tourism. Growth is expected to remain moderate in 2022 and the medium term. Careful policy coordination is required to entrench the recovery, stem risks and rebuild buffers to pre-pandemic levels. Policies should mitigate the flaring-up in inflation, external imbalances, and house prices. Structural reforms should facilitate economic diversification and make the economy more resilient to shocks. Diversification efforts should focus on easing regulatory burdens on start-ups and spurring innovation by leveraging Iceland’s human capital and advanced digital infrastructure. The new collective wage agreement can also foster diversification and resilience through better alignment of wage and productivity growth.
Keywords:
inflation expectation; liability positions vis-à-vis nonresident; steering inflation; housing policy; data standard; rising prices; policy coordination; Inflation; Housing prices; Housing; Government finance statistics; Central bank policy rate; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Tackling Legal Impediments to Women’s Economic Empowerment
Mrs. Katharine M Christopherson Puh
,
Audrey Yiadom
,
Juliet Johnson
,
Francisca Fernando
,
Hanan Yazid
, and
Clara Thiemann
It is well established that a wide range of legal impediments in countries’ domestic laws have prevented women from achieving full economic empowerment, which in turn has negative macroeconomic implications. In many countries, laws often reflect and perpetuate gender norms that limit women’s economic participation, and removal of these impediments through legal reform has been shown to be an effective method to catalyze greater participation of women in the economy—along with the related macroeconomic benefits. Once legal barriers are removed and provisions for more equal treatment under the law are embedded, the law can also be employed as a powerful tool to incentivize women to pursue equal opportunities, change mindsets regarding the role of women, and hold institutions and individuals accountable for achieving results. Accordingly, it is imperative for countries to focus on eliminating existing legal impediments and designing appropriate incentives to increase women’s participation in the economy. This paper goes beyond previous Fund work by categorizing the key sources of laws that impede women’s economic empowerment, as well as ways in which the law can be used as a tool to create behavioral changes and shifts in perceptions of women in the economy. Case studies of six countries (Iceland, Peru, Rwanda, The Philippines, Tunisia, and the United States) that rank high in gender equality in their respective regions demonstrate how legal reforms have been implemented in differing contexts to help achieve women’s economic empowerment. Given the relevance to the Fund’s mandate, the paper also notes the case for a stepped-up role for the IMF in advising on legal reforms that remove barriers to, and incentivize, women’s economic empowerment. Although this paper highlights dominant belief systems and cultural norms that have contributed to limiting the economic empowerment of women, it does not intend to render any judgment on these systems or norms.
Keywords:
gender gap; inequality; inclusive growth; gender norm; gender budgeting law; IMF's contribution; gender wage gap; constitutional law; Women; Gender inequality; Gender diversity; Labor force participation; Global
Cover Policy Papers
G20 Note On Environmentally Sustainable Investment For The Recovery
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This Note prepared for the G20 Infrastructure Working Group summarizes the main finding of the IMF flagships regarding the role of environmentally sustainable investment for the recovery. It emphasizes that environmentally sustainable investment is an important enabler for a resilient greener, and inclusive recovery—it creates jobs, spurs economic growth, addresses climate change, and improves the quality of life. It can also stimulate much needed private sector greener and resilient investment.
Keywords:
climate change; environmentally sustainable investment; public investment management; green infrastructure; IMF flagship; transparency policy; quality infrastructure investment agenda; energy efficiency improvement investment; management practice; Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP); Infrastructure; Climate change; Job creation; Natural disasters; Global; Sustainable growth
Cover Staff Discussion Notes
A Post-Pandemic Assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals
Ms. Dora Benedek
,
Mr. Edward R Gemayel
,
Mr. Abdelhak S Senhadji
, and
Alexander F. Tieman
The COVID-19 pandemic hit countries’ development agendas hard. The ensuing recession has pushed millions into extreme poverty and has shrunk government resources available for spending on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This Staff Discussion Note assesses the current state of play on funding SDGs in five key development areas: education, health, roads, electricity, and water and sanitation, using a newly developed dynamic macroeconomic framework.
Keywords:
Sustainable Development Goals, Development, Fiscal Policy, Structural Reform; policy option; composite index; case study countries' SDG spending; financing gap; SDG performance; analysis of development strategy; Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); COVID-19; Human capital; Emerging and frontier financial markets; Infrastructure; Sub-Saharan Africa; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Information and Inequality in the Time of a Pandemic
Allan Dizioli
and
Roberto Pinheiro
We introduce two types of agent heterogeneity in a calibrated epidemiological search model. First, some agents cannot afford staying home to minimize their virus exposure, while others can. Our results show that these poor agents bear most of the epidemic’s health costs. Moreover, we show that having more agents who do not change their behavior during the pandemic could lead to a deeper recession. Second, agents are heterogeneous in developing symptoms. We show that diseases with higher share of asymptomatic cases, even if less lethal, lead to worse health and economic outcomes. Public policies such as testing, quarantining, and lockdowns are particularly beneficial in economies with a larger share of poor agents. However, lockdowns lose effectiveness when part of the agents take precautions to minimize virus exposure independent of government actions.
Keywords:
WP; infection rate; asymptomatic infection; unconstrained agent; Bellman equation; time allocation; flow utility; arrival rate; infected agent; Labor supply; Public expenditure review; COVID-19; testing; asymptomaticity; inequality
Cover Finance & Development
Finance & Development, March 2019
International Monetary Fund. Communications Department
This issue of Finance & Development discusses need of empowering women, which is critical for the world’s economy and people. Unequal or unfair treatment can marginalize women and hinder their participation as productive individuals contributing to society and the economy in invaluable ways. The rich tapestry of organizations and individuals who can make a difference to ensure women have equal opportunities; there is a crucial role for policymakers. They can use their positions to design policies that help women and girls’ access what they need for a fulfilling life—including education, health services, safe transportation, legal protection against harassment, finance, and flexible working arrangements. The IMF recommends these kinds of policy measures to its member countries—and works with many governments to examine how policies affect women. The IMF’s 189 member countries face many different challenges, but empowering women remains a common denominator and a global imperative for all those who care about fairness and diversity, but also productivity and growth of societies and economies that are more inclusive.
Keywords:
FD; F&D; economy; worker; gender equality; gender wrong; garment factory workforce; authorities in Africa; IMF's expertise; citizenship law; AI skill; Women; Gender inequality; Minimum wages; Gender diversity; Income inequality; Global; Africa; South Asia; Europe; Middle East; North Africa; Labor force participation; class AnalystIn; gender DiversityThe; costs of Unpaid CaregivingBanking
Cover Finance & Development
Finance & Development, March 2019
International Monetary Fund. Communications Department
Finance and Development
Keywords:
FD; F&D; economy; worker; gender equality; gender wrong
Cover Finance & Development
Finance & Development, March 2019
International Monetary Fund. Communications Department
Finance and Development
Keywords:
FD; F&D; economy; worker; gender equality; gender wrong
Cover Finance & Development
Finance & Development, March 2019
International Monetary Fund. Communications Department
Finance and Development
Keywords:
FD; F&D; economy; worker; gender equality; gender wrong