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Economics in Brief

Economics in Brief provides quick and concise information on current themes.

November 2023	COP28 Climate Conference: High time for a course correction and new avenues
August 2023	Effects of quantitative tightening by the ECB and Fed on inflation and GDP
March 2023	Germans show broad support for the expansion of renewable energy
March 2023	Don’t be afraid of zombies: Debt sustainability is not a problem for 95% of SMEs in Germany
February 2023	Italy’s debt sustainability in the new interest environment: More challenging but still doable
May 2022	Low-income countries are in the grip of soaring global market prices for fuel and foodstuffs
February 2021	Coronavirus and structural change threaten jobs – further training more important than ever
August 2020	Social media – a tool for SMEs to recruit talent
August 2020	Coronavirus crisis has unsettled the VC market and changed the investor landscape
July 2020	Climate neutrality: Energy efficiency of buildings remains crucial!
June 2020	Green hydrogen – a key building block for a successful energy transition
June 2020	Coronavirus crisis drives shift to flexible and digital working in SMEs
May 2020	Recession in the Gulf spells trouble for many developing and emerging economies
May 2020	How the coronavirus crisis is affecting the German labour market
April 2020	Promotional programme makes 55,000 dwellings burglary-resistant each year
February 2020	Export weakness under the microscope: Where are the headwinds in the euro area coming from?
February 2020	Latin America – denouncing inequality
January 2020	Estonia is a technologically savvy place but not all is future-oriented yet
October 2019	Just under 100,000 new businesses were started in the creative industries in 2018
October 2019	South Africa: The debate on reforms is slowly starting
October 2019	German SMEs divided over possible consequences of a hard Brexit
September 2019	Bulgaria plans to join the euro – is the Southeast European EU country ready?
August 2019	Use of foreign currency in Russia
July 2019	Germany’s economy: is an industrial recession less contagious than before?
May 2019	Energy crisis in South Africa – a barrier to higher economic growth
April 2019	Protests in Algeria also highlight the limitations of the economic model
March 2019	Nigeria after the elections: no recovery without reforms
February 2019	Germany has fewer women in executive positions than the international average
February 2019	Female ownership decreases further in Germany's SME sector
January 2019	Access to finance is main obstacle for SMEs in Africa
December 2018	Why are German firms reluctant to invest in Africa?
December 2018	Slovakia must now change its course
November 2018	Ethiopia – from land of famine to land of hope?
November 2018	Financial investors in the M&A market for SMEs: activities are picking up slightly
September 2018	Downturn in Greenfield investments in Asia – cyclical or structural?
August 2018	European financial assistance – Germany’s exposure is average
July 2018	Migrants’ start-up propensity is now in line with the average
March 2018	Interest rate reversal – a threat to capital flows to developing and emerging economies?
March 2018	The performance of the German innovation system is falling behind other countries
February 2018	Public debt reduction in the euro area – initial progress
January 2018	Start-up location Germany: good with upside potential
November 2017	Energy transition in France – winds of change with Nicolas Hulot
October 2017	German exports are dominated by automobiles
October 2017	Green Bonds: global market is growing fast and issuers are becoming more diverse
September 2017	Labour market in the Czech Republic sets standards
September 2017	Dark clouds are gathering on the UK’s economic horizon
September 2017	The whole euro area is recovering – the whole euro area …? Yes!
August 2017	Nigeria – a poor example of macro-economic adjustment?
August 2017	Emergin markets have become more important for Germany's foreign trade
July 2017	Oil prices and bond yields – hand-in-hand again
July 2017	Five years of ‘whatever it takes’: three words that saved the euro
July 2017	Asymmetric shocks within the euro area – absorption mechanism needed
June 2017	US climate policy jeopardises SMEs’ energy efficiency gains
June 2017	In its fourth year, Spain’s recovery has overcome many crisis effects
June 2017	“Taper tangram” – the ECB’s exit is a game of patience
June 2017	The USA has no economic policy
June 2017	Is climate protection really bad for the US economy?
May 2017	Food inflation: a brief intermezzo
March 2017	At what level might tariffs be set after a “hard Brexit”?
March 2017	R&D expenditure in Germany: positive trend since 1995, but levels need to increase further
March 2017	The external debt levels of the poorest Sub-Saharan countries must be monitored closely
February 2017	Mexico – struggle for growth and progress
January 2017	What is behind China’s capital outflows?
January 2017	The current weakness of many emerging markets evokes the concept of the middle income trap
January 2017	Banking regulation in Europe: further steps on a long road
December 2016	Germany's SMEs after US election and before Brexit: keep markets open!
December 2016	The current external imbalances from a global and from a German perspective
November 2016	Supporting the private sector would greatly benefit the countries of North Africa
October 2016	Should the lingering weakness of global trade be a cause for concern?
September 2016	Keeping a watch on emerging market corporate debt
September 2016	Japan – a trailblazer in economic policy change?
September 2016	KfW Research Business Cycle Clock Euro Area
May 2016	Ageing in developing East Asia requires broad policy responses
May 2016	Brazil: investment suffers strongly during recession
May 2016	Market for green bonds is taking root
April 2016	Germany’s external trade – driven by demand or by the exchange rate?
April 2016	Mexico – portfolio inflows finance a large portion of the current account deficit
March 2016	SME business performance – research and development pays off
March 2016	Oil – suppliers are calling the shots
March 2016	MENAP – the low oil price makes a big difference
February 2016	Weak productivity growth in Germany – is it a problem?
February 2016	Will the free movement of workers survive a Brexit deal at the EU Summit?
January 2016	Commodity price decline weighs on investment
December 2015	Spain: political uncertainty overshadows good economic outlook
December 2015	The remarkable weakness of world trade and its implications for Germany
December 2015	Euro area: the credit channel is working!
November 2015	China: Interest rates set free
November 2015	New capital for Greek banks
November 2015	Strong growth makes India shine but its policy lags behind
October 2015	Efficient investment for higher growth in the euro area
October 2015	Inflation quiet thanks to oil?
October 2015	China’s shift is the right approach, some worries are exaggerated
September 2015	Business size and stages of economic development
September 2015	Peru favours investment
September 2015	Companies in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme: does climate policy influence their competitiveness?
September 2015	US monetary policy: Courage needed!
September 2015	Turbulent times ahead for foreign currency debtors in emerging markets
August 2015	More Europe! On the road to Energy Union
July 2015	TTIP from the perspective of developing and emerging countries
July 2015	25 years of economic and social union – proving the strength of Germany's social market economy
June 2015	China's foreign exchange reserves – a currency policy with risks and side-effects
June 2015	United Kingdom – “political construction sites” create uncertainty
April 2015	Brazil’s consumers are in a tight spot
April 2015	The BRICS – important trading partners for Germany
March 2015	Who benefits from the devaluation of the euro?
March 2015	A strong US dollar – a blessing or a curse?
February 2015	Stressed Russian banking sector
February 2015	Russia’s external debt
February 2015	Without addressing structural weaknesses, Emerging Markets will struggle to make progress
February 2015	Business climate increases as the year draws to a close
December 2014	Eurozone grows as Lithuania joins
December 2014	The Eurasian Customs and Economic Union
October 2014	Ireland: Successful return
October 2014	The new ECB test and banks' equity
October 2014	Falling sales expectations curb SME innovation activity in Germany
August 2014	Is an EU Association Agreement worth it?
July 2014	New assistance frameworks for BRICS countries in place, but many questions remain
June 2014	Controversial TTIP agreement between EU and USA
June 2014	What next for global energy investments?
April 2014	EnEV 2014: Housing stock is key to success – nine million buildings in need of renovation
April 2014	France's plans deserve to be implemented
April 2014	Interest rate liberalisation in China - necessary, but risky
April 2014	Ukraine – Small economy, major problems
April 2014	Russia's "Dutch disease"
April 2014	SRM and SRF: a success – by European standard
April 2014	Japan: "Abenomics" – a success story?
March 2014	SME loans in southern Europe - are the lean times over?
March 2014	The second energy turnaround – what do companies think?
March 2014	EEG power runs along the supply chain
January 2014	The Bali WTO resolutions: plenty of boastings, but not much substance
January 2014	Young companies lead the way in the use of social media
December 2013	Euro newcomer Latvia
December 2013	Female Leaders – An economic success factor
November 2013	Climate change also affects the residential sector
November 2013	United Kingdom: Recovery with risks
November 2013	Transport infrastructure – the municipalities are in need!
October 2013	Backloading has no material impact on CO2 prices or reduction initiatives
October 2013	Generation of low birth rates accelerates trend in older self-employed workers
September 2013	Energy cooperatives need to professionalise following elections
September 2013	Social enterprises as an investment?
August 2013	Start-up activity in the skilled trades: visible change
August 2013	Municipalities, prepare for old age!
August 2013	After a sustained boom Turkey is facing a difficult period
July 2013	With a little help from a friend
July 2013	Necessity entrepreneurs tend to compete on price more often
June 2013	Welcome, Croatia!
June 2013	Yen depreciation slows German exports
June 2013	Poverty in developing and industriealised countries - one term, two meanings
June 2013	Alternative welfare is measureable
May 2013	Remittances from migrant workers stabilise the economies of developing countries
March 2013	Germany is increasingly attracting qualified migrants
February 2013	Rising power supply costs, rising electricity rates: who carries the additional burden?
January 2013	Updated view of the economic situation: the World Bank Report "Global Economic Prospects", January 2013
January 2013	The confusing proliferation of developing country classifications
January 2013	House price correction is underway in the Netherlands
December 2012	From exports to foreign investments: SMEs tap into foreign markets
December 2012	Why do young enterprises fail?
November 2012	ECB monetary policy: Currently no risk of inflation