Monetary Policy
Labour mismatches plague euro zone
GERMANY - Austria has too many construction workers and too few hairdressers. France suffers from an abundance of woodworkers but a shortage of nurses. These are some of the findings of an ECB report published today.
Japan to name two businessmen to BOJ board-sources
JAPAN - The Japanese government has provisionally decided to name two businessmen to the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) policy-setting board to replace members whose terms expire at the end of the month, according to sources, Reuters reports Tuesday.
Shiokawa - New anti-deflation steps to be concrete
JAPAN - A new round of anti-deflation steps being prepared by Japan's ruling coalition will likely flesh out the plan to combat falling prices already announced by the government, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday.
Australia's Macfarlane moves Reserve goal posts
AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank of Australia governor advised the Australian Government against repayments of borrowed US dollars.
Investors in Belgian national bank head for courts
BELGIUM - Banque Nationale de Belgique (BNB) is likely to find itself taken to court by its minority investors, claims Financial News in London.
Bill seeks changes to central bank act
PHILIPPINES - A senator has filed before the Senate a measure that seeks to amend the charter governing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
BIS Quarterly Review, March 2002
REPORT - Bank for International Settlements, Quarterly Review, International Banking and Financial Market Developments, released 11 March 2002.
Speech by Lars Nyberg of Sveriges Riksbank, 11 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Financial disturbances and the real economy' Nyberg echoed concerns voiced by colleagues on the banks board that inflation in Sweden has been unexpectedly high lately saying "a number of my colleagues have expressed concern…
Speech by A Santomero of Philadelphia Fed, 6 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'The Recovery - Has It Begun?' Santomero said the U.S. economy's recovery from recession "may indeed have already begun," and called recent statistics on the economy "heartening, in fact, surprisingly strong".
ECB Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Labour market mismatches in euro area countries, 11 March.
Single currency outsiders united in sport
LETTER - A letter published in Monday's Financial Times suggests that the forthcoming football world cup has important implications for membership of the euro.
Swedish c banker joins inflation concern view
SWEDEN - Inflation in Sweden has been unexpectedly high lately, Swedish central bank Deputy Governor Lars Nyberg said on Monday, adding he shared the concern over the issue voiced by colleagues on the bank's board.
Reserve Bank of South Africa Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE - Commission of inquiry into the rapid depreciation of the exchange rate of the rand, 13 March.
Soros warns UK not to snub euro
UK - Billionaire investment guru George Soros has said that it is "impossible" for Britain to reject adoption of the euro.
UK shadow chancellor shifts on bank independence
UK - UK Chancellor Gordon Brown deserves "great credit" for his decision to give the Bank of England independence, Michael Howard has said.
Heikensten says slower wage growth needed
SWEDEN - Sweden's membership of European economic and monetary union will demand a higher government budget surplus and lower wage increases, Lars Heikensten, deputy governor of Sweden's central bank told Dagens Nyheter Sunday.
Iran's c bank chief dismisses embezzlement claims
IRAN - Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has dismissed as "untrue" certain reports on embezzlement at CBI and said the claims are unfortunately raised by those who are unfamiliar with banking affairs.
A very big shoe to fill - A successor to Greenspan
FEATURE - The Economist magazine, 9 March, reports on the search to replace the chairman of the US Federal Reserve - Time to groom an heir for Alan Greenspan.
BIS-Central bankers see world economy improving
SWITZERLAND - Top central bankers see the world economy's prospects more positive than they did two months ago and expect key interest rates to rise only once a more broad-based recovery has been firmly established, Bank of England Governor Sir Edward…
Speech by Fed Reserve Governor Ed Gramlich, 7 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Macroeconomic Policy in Recessions--and Other Times' Gramlich said Government reaction to economic hard times should keep long-term strategy in mind, particularly when considering whether to launch a fiscal stimulus program.
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book
REPORT - Prepared at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and based on information collected before February 26, 2002. This document summarizes comments received from business and other contacts outside the Federal Reserve and is not a commentary on the…
ECB Press Conference
PRESS CONFERENCE - Introductory statement by Willem F. Duisenberg, President of the European Central Bank, Christian Noyer, Vice-President of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main, 7 March.
ECB Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - Non-standard central bank loss functions, skewed risks, and certainty equivalence, by Ali al-Nowaihi and Livio Stracca, February 2002.
Speech by U Backstrom of Sveriges Riksbank, 7 Mar
SPEECH - Backstrom said in the speech titled 'Swedens economy and monetary policy' that "if inflation, even disregarding the temporary effects, is above the target initially, activity is entering an upward phase and economic policy's impact on the…