CHART OF THE WEEKPutting Public Investment to Work
For countries on the path to recovery, reviving economic activity is a major priority. And what better way to support a come-back than by creating jobs. […]
Slow-Healing Scars: The Pandemic’s Legacy
By Sonali Das and Philippe Wingender
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
Recessions wreak havoc and the damage is often long-lived. Businesses shut down, investment spending is cut, and people out of work can lose skills and motivation as the months stretch on. […]
Rising Market Power—A Threat to the Recovery?
By Kristalina Georgieva, Federico J. Díez, Romain Duval, and Daniel Schwarz
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
The crisis has hit small and medium enterprises especially hard, causing massive job losses and other economic scars. Among these—less noticeable, but also serious—is rising market power among dominant firms as they emerge even stronger while smaller rivals fall away. […]
The Haves and Have-nots Of the Digital Age
By Gita Bhatt
Accelerated by the pandemic, the digital future is coming at us faster than ever before, and maybe faster than we can imagine. In this issue of Finance & Development magazine, we explore the possible consequences—the good, the bad, and the gray. […]
The Economics of Data
By Yan Carrière-Swallow and Vikram Haksar
Look around the global economy and you’ll see an American company developing the next generation of driverless cars, a Chinese financier extending loans to “mom-and-pop” stores that used to lack access to credit, and researchers at a Swiss pharmaceutical company developing a treatment for a chronic health condition. […]
How to Keep Corporate Power in Check
By Federico Díez and Romain Duval
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
People are becoming concerned that the rising power of big successful companies may be behind some of the recent sluggish economic growth and rising income inequality. […]
Why Investment May Come Under Threat
By Weicheng Lian, Natalija Novta, and Petia Topalova
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
It might be hard to imagine a time when a 512 kilobyte computer cost more than $28,000. That was in 1984. Today, you can buy a much more powerful computer for under $300. […]
Fintech in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Potential Game Changer
If you are reading this blog—drawn by current buzz around financial technology and the “fintech” reference in the title, and its promise to democratize financial services—then it is probably a safe bet to assume that you have heard of M-Pesa. […]