This paper reviews several methods to measure wage flexibility, and their suitability for evaluating the extent of such flexibility during times of structural change, when wage distributions and wage curves can be particularly volatile. The paper uses nonparametric estimation to capture possible...

In flow models of the labor market, wages are determined by negotiations between workers and employers on the surplus value of a realized match. From this perspective, this paper presents an econometric analysis of the influence of labor market flows on wage formation as an alternative to the...

The growth rate of real hourly wages in France has fallen below the trend growth rate of total factor productivity. The distribution of wage and earnings growth has not been uniform across deciles. A breakdown in employment growth by wage deciles also suggests important composition changes. The...

This Selected Issues paper on Sweden reviews economic developments in Sweden during 1994–98. In 1994, the general government expenditure-to-GDP ratio stood at 70 percent, up from below 60 percent of GDP in the late 1990s; meanwhile, the revenue ratio was just under 60 percent of GDP, down from...

This Selected Issues paper on Sweden examines developments in the government structural balance. The paper identifies the respective contributions of cyclical and structural factors in the present fiscal consolidation phase. It reviews recent developments and the medium-term fiscal outlook. The...

The IMF Working Papers series is designed to make IMF staff research available to a wide audience. Almost 300 Working Papers are released each year, covering a wide range of theoretical and analytical topics, including balance of payments, monetary and fiscal issues, global liquidity, and...

This 1999 Article IV Consultation highlights that Sweden’s real GDP growth accelerated to 2.9 percent in 1998, as a result of a strengthening of domestic demand. Private consumption was aided by sizable real wage increases, declining unemployment, increased government transfers to households,...

The Swedish banking system faced a severe liquidity strain during the global financial crisis owing to their extensive reliance on global wholesale funding to support expansion in their credit operations. This note gives a detailed review on the recommendations made in the Financial Sector...

As in other advanced economies, there has been a significant run-up of household debt in Sweden during the last two decades accompanied by rising housing prices, prompting concerns about sustainability and the implications for financial stability. The rise in household debt and the banking...

This paper provides an assessment of the level of implementation of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Principles in Sweden’s securities market. The assessment has identified several significant weaknesses in the scope and effectiveness of securities market...