Growth
Iranian deputy points to economic turnaround since Rouhani took office
Deputy governor says central bank has managed to impose new discipline on the economy, but sees room for improvement in the broader Islamic world
RBA’s Kent seeks to explain divergent labour and growth outcomes
Assistant governor says range of factors may have contributed to a unexpectedly strong performance of Australian unemployment, even as growth remains subdued
Norges Bank paper outlines forecasting method for big data
Researchers aim to forecast US stock market and economy using a Bayesian non-parametric model, with a dataset large enough that computing power becomes a problem
IMF warns on sanctions impact as Russia cuts rates
Article IV report highlights problem of high inflation and low growth, coupled with financial instability resulting from sanctions, and calls for rate cuts to continue at a 'prudent pace'
Bank of Korea research tots up damage from capital flows
Researchers attempt to measure the impact of foreign financial flows on the real economy, finding the type of flow matters for growth, but all types increase volatility
BoJ paper builds model of secular stagnation
Authors find scrapping the idea of a single representative household allows New Keynesian models to portray secular stagnation – and a high inflation target fixes the problem
IMF urges Bank of Japan to 'stand ready' to up asset purchases
Article IV report says Bank of Japan should improve communication and be prepared to expand easing measures, as weak policy transmission creates a ‘conundrum’
RBA’s Stevens wants reforms framed as positive narrative
Glenn Stevens argues the average citizen cares about economic potential, and reforms should be presented ‘as a positive narrative’ for growth
Kuroda flags three traps Asia should avoid
BoJ governor points to three traps that threaten growth in Asia and says boosting productivity is the best way to avoid becoming ensnared
Carney sees BoE inching towards rate hike
BoE governor says debate over rate hike will ‘come into sharper relief’ around turn of the year, but reiterates upward path will be shallow and any hike is data-dependent
Fed beige book points to areas of optimism
Most districts report economic activity as expanding at a ‘modest’ or ‘moderate’ pace, while many contacts indicate ‘optimism’ about future growth
Bank of Canada cuts rates to support ‘complex adjustment’
Central bank says economy needs additional support as it restructures in response to complex impact from oil price shock; fears remain over imbalances in household sector
BoE officials say UK may be starting to throw off productivity woes
There are signs the UK may be emerging from the ‘long, dark tunnel’ of weak productivity, officials tell the Treasury Committee; government’s minimum wage plans may be a positive factor
Former Afghan governor returns for second term
Khalilullah Sediq takes over for a second time as governor of the Bank of Afghanistan, following a spell in the private sector
Czech board expects strong growth showing
Board members at the Czech National Bank caught off guard by strong growth in first quarter, minutes show, but expect stronger-than-forecasted growth for rest of year
ECB research flags signs of Spanish decoupling
Recent recessions appear to have caused Spain’s economy to diverge from those of other major eurozone countries, working paper warns
Danish central bank urges government to 'rein in' economy
National Bank of Denmark recommends countercyclical fiscal policy, including reformed housing taxes, as private sector growth has become strong enough to create risks
Chatham House paper tries to quantify Syrian economic breakdown
Devastation from war, displacement of millions and oil and gas production falling into the hands of Isis and Kurdish forces have combined to create economic disaster
BoE’s Cunliffe sees more efficient UK firms in coming years
Deputy governor justifies MPC forecast that productivity growth will finally pick up in 2016 and 2017, pointing to the potential for efficiency gains within firms as the economy grows
Bank of Thailand cuts forecasts for growth and inflation
Monetary policy report says risks are ‘skewed to the downside’ as central bank lowers its forecasts; MPC was divided over further easing at April meeting
Eurozone recovery set to broaden, says ECB bulletin
Report presents growing body of good news for most eurozone economies as wages and consumption rise, inflation bottoms out and investment begins to return
Nowotny considers ‘human costs’ of structural reform
National Bank of Austria governor challenges economists to think about the quality of economic growth, suggesting this could have implications for the pursuit of structural reforms
Philadelphia Fed survey sees brighter outlook for economy
Survey of US forecasters shows outlook of higher growth and lower unemployment than previously thought by the end of 2015; inflation expected to return to target next year
Zhu Guangyao on global financial governance, divergent monetary policy and IMF reform
China's vice-minister of finance Zhu Guangyao speaks about the state of the global economy, deflation, and China's role in finance reform and the international monetary system