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Chart of the Week: Ireland’s Fight Against Income Inequality

June 30, 2017

Shoppers in Dublin, Ireland: the country has high income inequality, before taxes and transfers (photo: Caro Rupert Oberhaeuser/Newscom)

Ireland’s economy continues to recover after a housing market crash in 2008 plunged the country into a deep and severe crisis. The strong social welfare system provided an important cushion against the worst effects of the crisis.

Ireland’s tax-benefit system is one of the most effective in the European Union in redistributing income. The tax system is relatively progressive and funds a robust system of social benefits, a significant share of which is means-tested. Income inequality before taxes and transfers in Ireland is high—37 percent of income is held by the top 10 percent of income earners. Social transfers make up about 70 percent of income for the bottom 20 percent of earners.

Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Ireland’s Fight Against Income Inequality” »

By IMFBlog| June 30th, 2017|Economic research, Europe, Government, growth, health, inclusive growth, income, Inequality, International Monetary Fund, jobs, labor force, taxation, technology, trade, youth|0 Comments

Lagarde—Lending an Ear to Young Voices

By IMFBlog

June 9, 2017

As Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde travels the world engaging with country officials, civil society, nongovernmental organizations, and media representatives. Lagarde also makes a point to engage with women and youth groups, to listen to their concerns, and to discuss their vision for their countries.

Continue reading “Lagarde—Lending an Ear to Young Voices” »

By IMFBlog| June 9th, 2017|education, Employment, Gender issues, growth, inclusive growth, International Monetary Fund, jobs, labor force, productivity, technology, Uncategorized, unemployment, youth|0 Comments

Channeling a Voice for Women

IMFBlog

Muna AbuSulayman is a Saudi Arabian media personality, whose television show, Kalam Nawaem, which means “soft talk” in Arabic, is the longest running and most popular social issues show in the Middle East. In this podcast, AbuSulayman discusses pushing social boundaries, including on topics such as gender equality. Continue reading “Channeling a Voice for Women” »

By IMFBlog| April 7th, 2017|Gender issues, inclusive growth, International Monetary Fund, labor force, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Chart of the Week: More Women, More Growth

By iMFdirect

International Women’s Day and the United States’ February jobs report are both coming up this week. So, we decided today’s chart should focus on women and work.

Around the world, women seeking employment face barriers—from legal hurdles to disincentives like lower wages. Leveling the playing field could bring significant benefits. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: More Women, More Growth” »

By IMFBlog| March 6th, 2017|Gender issues, health, IMF, income, U.S., wages|0 Comments

Chart of the Week: For India, Toilets Bring Benefits

By iMFdirect

Improving access to sanitation, an important Sustainable Development Goal, is essential for achieving gender equality and economic prosperity. It leads to increased female participation in the workforce, higher literacy and faster economic growth, according to the IMF’s latest research on India. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: For India, Toilets Bring Benefits” »

By IMFBlog| February 27th, 2017|Economic research, Gender issues, growth, health, IMF, Inequality, infrastructure, International Monetary Fund|0 Comments

Trade, Labor, and Trust

By iMFdirect

“If we’re fighting each other because we can’t design a system that actually works for everybody, then working people will again continue to mistrust our institutions, and the threat to democracy is very real; you see it.” – Sharan Burrow

Burrow is General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, and in this podcast she says collective action is needed to help better distribute the benefits of growth. Continue reading “Trade, Labor, and Trust” »

By IMFBlog| February 24th, 2017|Gender issues, Globalization, IMF|0 Comments

Growing Older: Germany Needs Reforms

By Enrica Detragiache, Jean-Marc Natal, and Joana Pereira

Version in Deutsch (German)

Germany, a champion of structural reform prescriptions within the European Union, needs a large dose of the same medicine at home, too. Beyond public investment in transport and telecommunications, and more competition in services, dealing with an aging population needs urgent attention. With the right policies, Germany can bring more people into the workforce—and for longer—to counter the demographic trend, argues a recent study accompanying the regular health check of the German economy by the International Monetary Fund.

Continue reading “Growing Older: Germany Needs Reforms” »

By IMFBlog| June 29th, 2016|Advanced Economies, Economic outlook, Employment, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Uncategorized, unemployment|0 Comments

The U.S. Economy: Above 2, Below 5, and 4 P’s

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By Christine Lagarde

Version in Español (Spanish)

The U.S. economy is in good shape, despite some setbacks in very recent months. The latest IMF review of the U.S. economy can be summed up in three numbers: above 2, below 5, and 4. What does that mean?

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By IMFBlog| June 22nd, 2016|Advanced Economies, Economic research, Financial markets, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, labor markets, monetary policy, U.S., Uncategorized|0 Comments

Doing It All—Women Boost the Bottom Line for Home, Firm, and Country

By Christine Lagarde

(Versions in عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Русский, Deutsch, and Italiano)

International Women’s Day—March 8—is one of my favorite days. It is a time to celebrate the impressive progress women at all levels of the career ladder have made in recent decades. More women in the labor force, and in more senior positions is good news for women, for their companies, and for their countries’ economies.

A new IMF staff study finds that in Europe, national policies, even taking account of personal preferences, can boost women’s participation in the workforce and enhance their chances for advancement.

Continue reading “Doing It All—Women Boost the Bottom Line for Home, Firm, and Country” »

By IMFBlog| March 7th, 2016|Employment, Gender issues, growth, IMF, Inequality, International Monetary Fund, technology|0 Comments

Population Pressures

By Jeff Hayden

(Versions in عربي and Español)

Say “population growth” and many people immediately think of resources under stress. The mind jumps to 19th century scholar Thomas Malthus, who saw population outstripping the food supply, or to Paul Ehrlich, whose 1968 book The Population Bomb warned of global catastrophe from overpopulation.

Continue reading “Population Pressures” »

By IMFBlog| February 25th, 2016|Africa, China, Employment, Fiscal policy, Government, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund|0 Comments

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