This Selected Issues paper describes stylized facts, institutions, and directions for reform in the Italian labor market. The paper examines developments in aggregate features of the labor market. It highlights that during the latest cyclical recovery, total employment has remained stagnant and...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country

Based on the economic literature, various policy measures and institutions in the product and labor markets that increase growth and employment are studied. From a cross-country approach, this study finds a significant relationship between Vertical Fiscal Imbalances (VFIs) and fiscal performance...

This paper examines the Annual Progress Report (APR) on Rwanda’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The 2004 APR is an important progress marker in Rwanda’s long-term vision to reduce the proportion of Rwandans living below the poverty line from 60 percent to 25 percent and...

This paper presents the Second Progress Report 2001/02 for Tanzania’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. The report highlights the mileage achieved during 2001/02, and provides a synthesized poverty profile. It presents information on macroeconomic policies and structural reforms and how they...

This paper examines the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Mali. The PRSP is an expression of the government’s desire to engage in development activity that is more intense, more organized, more consensus-based, and more effective, and capable of bringing about lasting poverty...