This Selected Issues paper focuses on decomposing the public-private sector wage differential in Lesotho. Lesotho's public wage bill is significantly higher than in other countries in the region. This paper takes a closer look at the civil service wage bill and examines public sector wage...

Low-income economies face negative shocks whose frequency and disproportionate impact overcome growth trajectories, producing a negative drift. COVID-19 was the latest such episode. To escape this negative drift, and build a durable recovery, there is a need for a counter-balancing force: to...

This paper proposes to postpone the next review of the PRGT interest rate structure to end-July 2025, given the desirability to consider all policies regarding low-income country facilities-including those related to PRGT interest rates-at once in the context of 2024/25 Review of the Fund's...

This chapter investigates the link between informality and growth in Madagascar and aims for a better understanding of the informal sector. It provides an analysis of the characteristics of informal production units and informal employment. Findings suggest that informality is a key feature of...

Stagnant income growth has limited Japan's growth potential and reflation efforts. This paper dissects the wage dynamics of different labor groups and identifies the structural barriers to income growth. Although average income growth has been weak due to the rise of part-time workers and their...

Despite recent improvements in female labor force participation, women remain underrepresented in STEM fields in Japan. Given the close link between STEM workers and innovation, encouraging women to pursue STEM careers could boost growth potential. Using a calibrated endogenous growth model with...

This paper provides an integrated perspective across the Trusts of the Fund. It is the first annual review that combines discussion of the adequacy of the resources of the Fund's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and debt relief trusts, including the Catastrophe Containment and Relief...

What is the impact of climate change on inflation and growth dynamics? This is not a simple question to answer as climate shocks tend to be ubiquitous, but with opposing effects simultaneously on demand and supply. The extent of which climate-related shocks affect inflation and economic growth...

Among western Balkan countries, Kosovo had the largest growth in tax revenue in percent of GDP over 2021-22. While part of this strong performance could be explained by increased activity, surging inflation, and buoyance, a sizable part of it is related to increased formalization. This paper...

This paper analyzes the drivers of India's growth in the past five decades and considers baseline and upside scenarios of India's medium-term potential growth. Using a production function approach, the paper assesses the impact of the pandemic on the key factors of production and therefore its...