Across the OECD, GDP per capita is converging. In contrast, regional disparities – or differences in GDP per capita across jurisdictions – are rising, mainly as a result of widening productivity differences. Fiscal decentralisation could help reduce them again. According to new OECD...

Reforms that boost growth by enhancing economic flexibility often meet strong opposition related to concerns that they may imply adverse consequences for categories of workers. This study investigates how making product or labour market regulation more flexible changes workers’ risks of moving...

Severe recessions and financial crises are frequent. Their effect on the economy is persistent and often exceeds initial projections. They can also be a strong driver of widening inequality. Therefore it is important that measures be taken to minimise the risk of such events while strengthening...

Sound public finances are necessary for the functioning and economic prosperity of a common currency union. The financial, economic and European sovereign debt crises revealed that financial stability and economic growth also serve as prerequisites and that all three interact in this respect....

The volume collects the essays presented at the 15th Workshop on Public Finance organised by Banca d'Italia in Perugia from 4 to 6 April 2013. The workshop focused on the link between fiscal policy and macroeconomic imbalances and comprised four sessions. The first session concentrated on the...

Durch die Versteigerung der UMTS-Lizenzen erhielt die Bundeskasse unerwartete Mehreinnahmen von knapp 100 Mrd. DM. Diese Erlöse sollen zur Schuldentilgung verwendet, die dadurch einsparten Zinszahlungen des Bundes in Höhe von jährlich 5 Mrd. DM in Forschung, Bildung, Verkehr und...