This paper compares productivity developments across industrial countries based on official OECD data in the business sector. It discusses the uncertainties surrounding the measurement of both productivity levels and productivity growth, and then focuses on changes in productivity growth. The...

[eng] The German Health System: . Making All Players More Responsible for their Actions . Over the last ten years, Germany has introduced many reforms to curb its runaway health spending while maintaining Bismarck's heritage of a highly protective health insurance system. The latest stage, the...

The impact of banks' financial characteristics on their decisions to participate in loan syndications is assessed. From the analysis, it appears that poorly performing banks tend, on average, to be more involved in syndications. Policymakers should perhaps monitor more closely the concentration...

In this paper we consider the role of exchange rate risk in influencing local currency sovereign bond yields in emerging market economies (EMEs). We explicitly account for exchange rate expectations and uncertainty around them, as measured by exchange rate volatility. The analysis points to an...

In response to the financial crisis, the authorities in a number of countries used public funds to recapitalise their banks. Did a reduction of risk in banks' lending follow these rescue operations? To help answer this question, we analyse the balance sheets and syndicated loan signings of 87...