Globalization and the reform of European social models
Combining product and capital market reforms at EU level with labour market and social policies at national level would be desirable, particularly within the euro
Global shocks, institutional development, and trade restrictions: Learning from crises and recoveries between 1990 and 2022
During the past 20 years, the world economy has suffered two major crises in the form of the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Filtering labour market data optimally to detect recessions early and accurately
The timely detection of recessions is critical for policymakers to make informed decisions. This column presents an algorithm for detecting recessions early using labour market
Stanley Fischer and the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics: A tribute
Stanley Fischer, the World Bank’s chief economist from January 1988 to August 1990, passed away on May 31, 2025. Stan Fischer’s immense professional contributions to
Basel endgame: Bank capital requirements and the future of international standard setting
Since the 1970s, banking regulators have worked to set minimum standards for internationally active banks. The latest agreement, Basel III, was introduced following the 2008
Detecting hidden state aid with machine learning
State aid regulation is crucial to ensuring competitiveness in the EU Single Market, but enforcement remains challenging. Non-compliance by member states and foreign subsidies are
The supply side of monetary policy: How floating-rate loans blunt the ECB’s fight against inflation
Central banks raise interest rates to reduce aggregate demand and bring inflation down. This column uses credit register data and product-level price data from the
Interlocking directorates and competition in banking
The presence of directors on the boards of competing firms (‘interlocking directorates’) raises concerns about collusion. This column studies the Italian corporate loan market and
Early job mentoring, placement, and training boost refugee integration without high costs
The number of people fleeing war and persecution worldwide has nearly tripled since the early 2010s, challenging European policymakers to ensure swift integration of asylum
What does it mean to live in a country that is 0.517 poor?
According to the UNDP’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), the Republic of Chad has a poverty score of 0.517. But what does this number mean? Is it
