While the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis appears to have entered a less acute phase, the economic outlook for the coming months remains poor, with weak growth predicted and unemployment continuing to increase. The fourth issue for 2012 includes: macroeconomic trends and prospects; job creation...

The global economy has begun to strengthen over the last quarter but the euro crisis and and associated fiscal policy responses continue to serve as a drag on European growth. This first issue for 2013 includes: Macroeconomic trends and prospects; Job creation and job losses at a glance (1/1/13...

As in the first quarter of the year, the European economic outlook remains uncertain, the current recession being forecast to give way to modest growth in 2014. In June, the ECB revised its forecasts for growth in 2013 down to -0.6%, raising those for 2014 to +1.1%. This second issue for 2013...

Prospects for growth in the EU are improving thanks to the combination of a smaller fiscal drag, stronger external demand and a gradual improvement in private sector lending conditions. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that output will increase in the euro zone by 1.1% in 2014...

Recent months have seen an improvement in economic outlook, a calming of the sovereign debt crisis and a stabilisation of unemployment rates. ECB President Mario Draghi was, however, cautious in his assessment of the emergent European recovery in January, calling it ‘modest’, ‘weak’ and...

According to the 2014 spring forecast from the European Commission DG-ECFIN, ‘the economic outlook is strengthening’ and ‘leading indicators point to GDP growth gaining momentum’. Some measure of modest growth has now returned to the majority of Member States. This issue includes:...

Recent data has cast doubt on the strength of the recovery. In its October 2014 World Economic Outlook, the IMF predicts a euro zone growth rate of 0.8% in 2014 (down from a forecast growth rate of 1.1% in April 2014). Factors contributing to the poorer outlook are slowdowns in the US, Japan and...

Dramatic recent oil price declines have seen deflation take hold in the EU. General price levels in December 2014 were 0.2% lower than a year earlier. This is further evidence of a tentative European economic recovery that appears to be running out of steam. Growth forecasts for the EU have been...

Economic recovery in the EU has some positive tailwinds at last. These come in three forms; reduced oil prices are a significant boon to the EU as it is a major net importer; the ECB’s decision to adopt unconventional monetary policy options previously implemented in other developed economies...