The recent evaluation of labor market dynamics in advanced economies (AEs) has highlighted several key issues that could affect the normalization of inflation. A noticeable shift in the Beveridge curve, which illustrates the relationship between job vacancies and unemployment, indicates changes in labor supply dynamics.

In recent years, geopolitical tensions have increasingly impacted the global economy and policy-making. This shift contrasts with the period following the 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis when investors prioritized economic performance over political dynamics. At that time, global policies were more aligned with economic conditions rather than political risks.

Thank you for joining us today to mark the launch of South Africa’s deposit insurance scheme. The big picture is that South Africa is joining a very common practice, globally, of offering deposit insurance. It is a universal business model of banks to fund their assets with borrowed money, and so depositors are actually investors in banks. Usually, we say investors must accept the risks of making investments. But deposits are special, and most governments protect them.

South Africa is facing potential economic challenges due to its high carbon intensity and low effective carbon price. This situation leaves the country vulnerable to economic disruptions from carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAM) and evolving consumer preferences. Although current assessments of the European Union's CBAM indicate minimal initial effects, these are expected to grow as more goods fall under such adjustments, additional countries adopt similar measures, and consumers increasingly favor less carbon-intensive products.

The Bank of Russia has announced plans to introduce new requirements for calculating the capital adequacy ratio (CAR) by professional securities market participants, effective from October 1, 2025. These changes aim to refine the assessment of credit risk associated with brokerage clients' positions.

Despite ongoing challenges, GDP growth in the first half of 2023 surpassed expectations. The mining, manufacturing, and finance sectors performed better than anticipated. On the demand side, government expenditure and private sector gross fixed capital formation also showed stronger growth than expected.

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has announced the official launch of the Corporation for Deposit Insurance (CODI). This initiative aims to bolster confidence in South Africa's financial sector.

This article provides an overview of the Bureau for Economic Research's business sector inflation expectations data in South Africa. It includes firm-level dimensions and characteristics, emphasizing the importance of analyzing this data. The disaggregated data offers valuable insights for policymakers on how well "anchored" inflation expectations are and the extent to which inflationary pressures spread through the economy.

The Federal Reserve has announced that it will conduct a series of daily monetary operations starting April 25, 2024. These operations are aimed at maintaining the federal funds rate within the target range set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).

CODI has become operational this month, representing the result of extensive collaboration and effort among policymakers, lawmakers, regulatory authorities, industry bodies, and member banks. The support, input, and constructive criticism received over the past few years have been crucial in developing a deposit insurance scheme that demonstrates a shared commitment to strengthening the resilience of the financial sector.

The results for April 2024 regarding the monitoring of maximum interest rates on deposits in Russian rubles by the top ten credit institutions attracting the largest household deposits have been released.

In a recent economic note, researchers have analyzed shifts in the primary drivers of export and import volumes. The study utilized an error correction model to assess changes in elasticities over time.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has expressed concerns over the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) proposed directive, known as Directive-BA 200. The union believes that this directive could negatively impact federal employees' rights and working conditions.

Elevated commodity prices have played a crucial role in mitigating structural challenges within the South African economy. From mid-2020 to late 2022, key export commodities such as rhodium, palladium, thermal coal, and iron ore experienced significant price increases. These surges helped maintain the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Index of Commodity Prices (ICP) at high levels.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced a proposed rule that aims to improve the capital planning practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This proposal, known as the Enterprise Capital Planning Rule, is designed to ensure these entities are well-prepared for financial challenges.

The Bank of Russia has announced changes to the regulation of credit institutions' open currency positions (OCPs). The new regulations introduce a limit on balance-sheet OCPs, accounting for 50% of equity, and establish criteria for fictitious and unreliable hedging of foreign exchange risk. These measures are designed to better balance the currency structure of credit institutions' assets and liabilities while preventing understatement of foreign exchange risk.

South African Reserve Bank Economic Notes are concise analyses crafted for internal discussion and to foster debate. These notes are authored by staff members of the South African Reserve Bank or visiting fellows and are occasionally made available to the public.

The deliberations of the Bank of Canada's Governing Council have resulted in a fixed announcement date for the monetary policy decision on April 10, 2024. The Council, led by Governor Tiff Macklem, engaged in discussions surrounding the global and Canadian economies, as well as inflation outlooks.In analyzing the international economy, the Council noted projections of stronger growth in the US and gradual improvements in the euro area, while acknowledging challenges faced by China's economy. Governor Macklem and other members highlighted the risk of stronger US GDP growth...

The South African Reserve Bank's (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee announced a shift in its preferred inflation target in July 2017. Before the third quarter of 2017, the committee maintained an inflation targeting range of 3–6%. However, from that point onward, the focus shifted to the midpoint of this range, setting 4.5% as the preferred target.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has recently released a report focusing on the advantages and obstacles of connecting fast payment systems internationally for cross-border payments. According to the report, linking these systems has the potential to enhance the speed and transparency of cross-border transactions, benefiting both users and service providers.The report emphasizes the significance of well-designed governance, scheme rules, and payment processing capabilities in managing risks and ensuring a smooth cross-border payments experience. However, challenges...