Belgium: Selected Issues

March 7, 2016

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Format: Chicago

Belgium: Selected Issues, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2016) accessed November 21, 2024

Summary

This paper discusses two key issues of the Belgian economy: (1) making public expenditure more efficient and (2) addressing the Belgian labor market-segmentations and distortions. Belgium faces fiscal challenges that call for a substantial consolidation over the medium term. The sizable expenditure reduction contemplated by the authorities will be difficult without deeper structural reforms. Reforms that improve the efficiency of public spending can help underpin fiscal adjustment while minimizing the drag on growth and protect social cohesion. The Belgian labor market suffers from rigidities and fragmentation. The design of policies to increase employment rates among these vulnerable labor market segments requires a thorough reflection of symptoms and underlying causes.

Subject: Expenditure, Health, Health care spending, Labor, Labor markets, Total expenditures

Keywords: CR, Employment, EU average, Europe, Health care spending, IMF staff calculation, ISCR, Labor market integration, Labor market outcome, Labor markets, Northern Europe, Pay, Total expenditures, Unemployment, Wage bill

Publication Details

Pages:

48
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Country Report No. 2016/078
Stock No:

1BELEA2016002
ISBN:

9781513547695
ISSN:

1934-7685

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