Berti, K., de Castro, F. and Salto, M., (2013), “Effects of fiscal consolidation envisaged in the 2013 Stability and Convergence Programmes on public debt dynamics in EU Member States”, European Commission, Economic Paper 504, September. This paper presents a simple analysis of the public debt-to-GDP ratio responses to fiscal consolidation efforts envisaged in the 2013 Stability and Convergence Programmes presented by EU Member States. In this paper we assess the …Read More
Member States’ Competitiveness Performance and Implementation of EU Industrial Policy Report 2013
European Commission, (2013), “Member States’ Competitiveness Performance and Implementation of EU Industrial Policy report 2013”, European Commission, 25 September. Progress has been made by Member States to improve the competitiveness of their economies, but many challenges still remain. An updated Industrial performance scoreboard assesses Member States’ industrial performance in five key areas, namely innovation and sustainability; business environment, services and infrastructure; public administration; finance and investment; and skills. The areas …Read More
European Best Performers in Times of Crisis
De Molli, V., (2013), “European Best Performers in Times of Crisis”, EconoMonitor, 18 September. In the context of the current financial and economic crisis, The European House – Ambrosetti decided to analyse the economic performance of European countries in the last 10 years in order to comprehend the most resilient countries during the crisis (2008-2012) The study outlines common features, strategies and political choices that have contributed to achieve positive …Read More
The future of Europe’s economy: Disaster or deliverance?
Whyte, P. and Tilford, S. eds., (2013), The future of Europe’s economy: Disaster or deliverance?, Center for European Reform, 18 September. The CER invited four leading economists to predict what the European economy will look like in 2020. Their answers differ sharply. Paul De Grauwe fears for the future because the eurozone’s creditor countries have succeeded in loading nearly all of the cost of eurozone adjustment onto the debtor nations. …Read More
Euro-Zone Unemployment Unlikely to Fall Quickly
Billington, I., (2013), “Euro-Zone Unemployment Unlikely to Fall Quickly”, The Wall Street Journal, The Euro Crisis Blog, 10 September. The euro zone may have emerged from recession this year, but unemployment is unlikely to fall quickly with companies less likely to hire staff in the final three months of the year than they were earlier in 2013, a survey of employers showed Tuesday. The quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook shows that, while there …Read More
The Global Competitiveness Report
World Economic Forum, (2013), “The Global Competitiveness Report”, 4 September. Excellent innovation and strong institutional environments are increasingly influencing economies’ competitiveness, according to The Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014, which is launched today. The report’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) places Switzerland at the top of the ranking for the fifth year running. Singapore and Finland remain in second and third positions respectively. Germany moves up two places (4th) and the United States …Read More
Interim Economic Assessment
OECD, (2013), “Interim Economic Assessment”, 3 September. A moderate recovery is underway in the major advanced economies, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment. Growth is proceeding at encouraging rates in North America, Japan and the UK. The euro area as a whole is out of recession, although output remains weak in a number of countries.
Social Protection Rights of Economically Dependent Self-employed Workers
Eichhorst, W., Kahanec, M., Kendzia, M., Wehner, C., et al. (2013), “Social Protection Rights of Economically Dependent Self-employed Workers”, IZA Research Report, N. 54. The study analyses the role of economically dependent self-employed workers in the labour market by taking institutional factors into account, such as labour law and social protection rights. In addition to setting out the reasons for the increase of dependent self-employed workers, the authors provide case studies across …Read More
Benchmarking Working Europe 2013
ETUI, (2013), “Benchmarking Working Europe 2013”. Widening economic and social gaps among EU member states, as well as among different groups and categories of citizens within society, are not only placing in jeopardy the future of Social Europe but threatening to undermine also the whole project of European integration. The post-2008 recession and debt crisis, helped along by EU leaders’ obstinate clinging to the failing remedies of fiscal austerity, have …Read More
The G-20 and Central Banks in the New World of Unconventional Monetary Policy
Brookings Institution, (2013), “The G-20 and Central Banks in the New World of Unconventional Monetary Policy”. Five years after the first meeting of G-20 leaders, and decisive action by the central banks and treasuries of the world’s major economies that prevented the financial crisis of 2008-2009 from turning into a 1930’s style world-wide depression, the world economy still remains fragile. The original fiscal stimulus agreed upon in the April 3rd …Read More