This paper examines whether output contractions associated with downturns and crises have an asymmetric effect on poverty. Several potential sources of asymmetry are identified first. A vector auto-regression model (involving the output gap, unemployment, real wages, and the poverty rate) is...

This paper examines the exit process from adjustable pegs and exchange rate bands, and the role of capital flows in these exits. It dwells on the experience of various countries, including Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, India, Poland, and Yemen. It begins by identifying conditions under which...

What role does public policy play in helping countries accelerate the industrialization process? This note aims to answer this question by applying a framework to analyze the process of transitioning from imitation to innovation. Based on a dynamic model of growth, simulations suggest that...

This paper studies the interactions between access to infrastructure, women’s time allocation, and economic growth in developing countries. The first part provides a review of the evidence on the impact of poor infrastructure on women’s ability to allocate their time to productive...

This paper studies the interactions between access to infrastructure, women’s time allocation, and economic growth in developing countries. The first part provides a review of the evidence on the impact of poor infrastructure on women’s ability to allocate their time to productive...

This paper examines the roles of bank capital regulation and monetary policy in mitigating procyclicality and promoting macroeconomic and financial stability. The analysis is based on a dynamic stochastic model with imperfect credit markets. Macroeconomic stability is defined in terms of a...

This paper reviews arguments for and against attributing explicitly a financial stability objective to monetary policy. The discussion is conducted from the perspective of middle-income countries (MICs), where bank credit plays a critical role both on the supply and demand sides. It also...