Redesigning Argentina’s Economic Landscape

Posted on November 21, 2016 by iMFdirect

By Roberto Cardarelli

Versions in Português (Portuguese), and Español (Spanish)

Most people know Argentina as the land of tango, Malbec, and some of the greatest soccer players of all times. But Argentina is also famous for being home to some of the most diverse and extreme landscapes of the world—from subtropical rainforests and Iguazu Falls in the north to the glaciers of Perito Moreno in the south, and from the lowest site in South America (Laguna del Carbón) to the highest elevation in the Americas (Aconcagua mountain).

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Filed under: Economic research, Fiscal policy, Government, growth, inflation, International Monetary Fund, Latin America, Reform, taxation, trade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Humans and Intelligent Machines

Posted on November 15, 2016 by iMFdirect

By iMFdirect

Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, says intelligent machines are your friends.

In this podcast, Kurzweil talks about how artificial intelligence is helping overcome our human limitations and creating better-paying jobs.

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Filed under: education, Employment, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, jobs, technology, U.S. | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Fixing the Great Distortion: How to Undo the Tax Bias Toward Debt Finance

Posted on November 10, 2016 by iMFdirect

By Ruud de Mooij, Michael Keen, and Alexander Tieman

“The Great Distortion.” That’s what The Economist, in its cover story of May 2015¸ called the systematic tax advantage of debt over equity that is found in almost every tax system.

This “debt bias” is now widely recognized as a real risk to economic stability. A new IMF study argues that it needs to feature more prominently on tax reform agendas; it also sets out options for how to do that.

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Filed under: Economic research, Finance, Fiscal policy, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Public debt, taxation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Evidence that Growth Creates Jobs: A New Look at an Old Relationship

Posted on November 9, 2016 by iMFdirect

By iMFdirect

Versions in عربي (Arabic), Français (French), and Español (Spanish)

The link between jobs and economic growth is not always a straight line for countries, but that doesn’t mean it’s broken.

Economists track the relationship between jobs and growth using Okun’s Law, which says that higher growth leads to lower unemployment.

New research from the IMF looks at Okun’s Law and asks, based on the evidence, will growth create jobs? The findings show a striking variation across countries in how employment responds to GDP growth over the course of a year. Continue reading →

Filed under: Advanced Economies, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Employment, G-20, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, jobs, labor force, U.S., unemployment | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A Sea Change: The New Migration from sub-Saharan Africa

Posted on November 2, 2016 by iMFdirect

By Jesus Gonzalez-Garcia and Montfort Mlachila

Versions in Français (French), and Português (Portuguese)

Migration of sub-Saharan Africans is growing rapidly. Just like the region’s population, the number of migrants doubled since 1990 to reach about 20 million in 2013. In the coming decades, migration will expand given the demographic boom in the working-age population—the group that typically feeds migration. We studied these trends in a recent paper because both receiving and sending countries need the right policies so all can benefit.

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Filed under: Advanced Economies, Africa, developing countries, Economic research, Employment, growth, International Monetary Fund, labor force, Migration, refugees | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Calculus of Conflict in the Middle East

Posted on September 16, 2016 by iMFdirect

Lagarde.2015MDPORTRAIT4_114x128By Christine Lagarde

Versions in: عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), 日本語(Japanese), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)

As world leaders head to New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, there is still no end to the heart-breaking images of war-torn cities in the Middle East and North Africa, and of a massive exodus of people looking for sanctuary and opportunities to sustain a livelihood.

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Filed under: Economic research, Europe, International Monetary Fund, Middle East, Migration, poverty, refugees, unemployment | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

How Lowering Trade Barriers Can Revive Global Productivity and Growth

Posted on June 20, 2016 by iMFdirect

By Era Dabla-Norris and Romain Duval

Version in Español (Spanish)

Weak productivity growth in many advanced and emerging market economies in the wake of the global financial crisis is raising concerns about future growth prospects. New research indicates that easing barriers to international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) could boost productivity and output.

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Filed under: Advanced Economies, Emerging Markets, IMF, International Monetary Fund, labor markets, trade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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