Why Jobs are Plentiful While Workers are Scarce
In the US and UK, the recent labor market puzzle can be partly explained by mismatch, the pandemic’s effect on women (in the US) and older workers leaving the work force.
Emerging Economies Must Prepare for Fed Policy Tightening
Policymakers may need to react by pulling multiple policy levers, depending on Fed actions and their own challenges at home.
Top 10 Blogs of 2021 Show Breadth of Global Policy Challenges
The arc of 2021, from tentative recovery to resurgent uncertainty, may feel like more of a circle for many around the world who are understandably weary of the pandemic and eager for a return to normal.
Chart of the WeekHigher Shipping Costs May Lift Asia’s Low Inflation
New analysis shows how increases in shipping rates have a persistent impact on consumer prices.
IMF Podcasts: The Year in Review
The past year has brought us new challenges even as the old ones persist. If anything, the ongoing pandemic has taught us to think differently about tackling the challenges and questions we currently face when it comes to big issues like climate change, gender equality, inflation and economic measurement.
Global Debt Reaches a Record $226 Trillion
Policymakers must strike the right balance in the face of high debt and rising inflation.
Food Inflation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Inflation is rising around the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, one item is driving the trend more than others: food prices. Food accounts for roughly 40 percent of the region’s consumption basket—a measure of goods and services used to measure consumer price index (CPI) inflation.
Addressing Inflation Pressures Amid an Enduring Pandemic
With inflationary pressures intensifying and Omicron generating new uncertainties, monetary policymakers are facing new and challenging tradeoffs.
Chart of the WeekLatin America’s Inflation Challenge
Inflation has surged in the largest economies of Latin America, prompting large central banks in the region to raise interest rates before economic activity has fully recovered.
Joint Action Needed to Secure the Recovery
G20 should lead in sharing vaccine doses, helping developing countries financially, and committing to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century.