Analysis of the real estate sector in Estonia in recent years: multifactor housing demand and housing supply constraints. Was the price right and is it now? What next?

The housing sector was a significant driver of Ireland's growth performance during the last decade, reflecting strong country-specific fundamentals. While supply and demand factors can explain much of the developments of prices during last 27 years, there is evidence of overshooting in the later...

The paper summarises UK house price developments since the mid-1990s and reviews evidence of demand and supply factors that have contributed to the house price boom. Strong growth in UK house prices since 1997 is partly explained by rising average incomes and falls in mortgage interest rates....

This paper employs stochastic simulations of a small structural rational expectations model to investigate the consequences of the zero bound on nominal interest rates. We find that if the economy is subject to stochastic shocks similar in magnitude to those experienced in the U.S. over the...

The paper examines the determinants of location choices of French multinational firms in eastern and western Europe. The sample includes 1,843 location choices in 19 countries over the years 1980-1999. The results suggest there might be important differences between the two regions of Europe...

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the Baltic countries were driven by different factors. Initially the process of privatisation and low labour costs attracted investment into public utilities and manufacturing. Later, taking advantage of the Baltic geographical location, further FDI...

Russia is now again one of the 10 largest economies in the world. Additionally, it is the EU’s 3rd largest trading partner, and an essential energy supplier. This recovery makes Russia an economic – and political – actor in Europe that cannot be ignored.This Country Focus describes...

Over the past four years, Romania has benefited from record FDI inflows, thanks to macroeconomic stabilisation, strong GDP growth, large-scale privatisations and the prospect of EU membership. However, privatisation-related FDI flows are slowing down since 2007, which have been an important...

The Czech Republic has been one of the primary recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI) among Central and Eastern European countries. Soon after transition, it attracted the attention of foreign investors based on sound economic fundamentals and the opportunities offered by early...

International trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) tend to exert a downward pressure on the relative wage of less skilled workers in developed countries. This Country Focus investigates whether the growing wage inequality between skilled and unskilled labour in Poland during the transition...