Sebastian Weber

Last Updated: January 14, 2023

Sebastian Weber is a Deputy Division Chief in the European Department of the International Monetary Fund. He holds a PhD and a Masters in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and has formerly studied Politics and Economics at the University of Cape Town and the University of Hamburg, where he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Economics. His research interests include monetary policy, international macro and finance, development, and labor economics. Sebastian has been a consultant for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Bank. He also worked at the European Central Bank.

Email: SWEBER@imf.org

Fluent In: French, German, Italian.

Education:

Ph.D., Economics, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, 2006-2010

M.Sc., Economics Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, 2004-2006

B.A. (Honours), Economics, Hamburger Universität für Wirtschaft und Politik and University of Cape Town, 2001-2004


Previous Experience:

International Monetary Fund, Monetary and Capital Markets Department: Senior Economist, 2021-2022

International Monetary Fund, European Department: Economist/Senior Economist, 2017-2021

European Central Bank (leave from the IMF), Economics Department: Economist/Senior Economist, 2015-2017

International Monetary Fund, Research Department: Economist, 2013-2014

University of Navarra, Economics Department, Visiting Lecturer, 2013

International Monetary Fund, African Department: Economist Program, 2012-2013

International Monetary Fund, European Department: Economist Program, 2010-2012

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Consultant, 2009

World Bank, Consultant, 2009

European Central Bank, Intern, 2008

Deutsche Bank, Research, Intern, 2004


Current Position:

International Monetary Fund, European Department: Deputy Division Chief


Country work or Mission Assignment:

Angola, Belgium, Curacao and Sint Maarten, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Iceland, Netherlands, Niger


Field of Expertise:

Monetary Policy

Open Economy Macroeconomics

Labor Economics

International Finance

Development Economics

IMF Books and Working Papers:

Exiting from Lockdowns: Early Evidence from Reopenings in Europe , Working Paper No. 20/218 , October 21, 2020

Sectoral Policies for Climate Change Mitigation in the EU , Departmental Paper No.20/14 , September 16, 2020

Reassessing the Role of State-Owned Enterprises in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe , Departmental Paper No.19/11 , June 18, 2019

Market Regulation, Cycles and Growth in a Monetary Union , Working Paper No. 19/123 , June 03, 2019

Price Expectations and the U.S. Housing Boom , Working Paper No. 15/182 , July 30, 2015

Dollarization in Sub-Saharan Africa : Experiences and Lessons , African Departmental Paper No. 15/4 , May 15, 2015

Issuing International Sovereign Bonds: Opportunities and Challenges for Sub-Saharan Africa , African Departmental Paper No. 14/2 , June 04, 2014

Managing Volatile Capital Flows: Experiences and Lessons for Sub-Saharan African Frontier Markets , March 26, 2014

Assessing the Determinants of Interest Rate Transmission Through Conditional Impulse Response Functions , Working Paper No. 13/23 , January 25, 2013

Do Fiscal Spillovers Matter? , Working Paper No. 11/211 , September 01, 2011

Growth Spillover Dynamics From Crisis to Recovery , Working Paper No. 11/218 , September 01, 2011

Limits of Floating Exchange Rates : The Role of Foreign Currency Debt and Import Structure , Working Paper No. 11/42 , February 01, 2011

IMF Country Reports

Managing Volatile Capital Flows: Experiences and Lessons for Sub-Saharan African Frontier Markets Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa. (with C. Gueye, J. del Granado, R. Garcia-Verdu, M. Hussain, B. Jang, and J. Corrales), 2013, Washington DC: International Monetary Fund, 2013.

Issuing Sovereign Bonds under Easy Global Financial Conditions: A Sub-Saharan Africa Perspective Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa (with J. Kriljenko, C. Gueye, M. Mecagni, Y. Mu, and M. Yabara), 2013, Washington DC: International Monetary Fund, 2013.

Other Published Materials

Mr. Sebastian Weber & Mirko Abbritti & Agostino Consolo, 2021. "Endogenous Growth, Downward Wage Rigidities and Optimal Inflation," IMF Working Papers 2021/208, International Monetary Fund.

Mr. Sebastian Weber & Mirko Abbritti, 2019. "Market Regulation, Cycles and Growth in a Monetary Union," IMF Working Papers 2019/123, International Monetary Fund.

Do Fiscal Spillovers Matter?, (joint with A. Ivanova), in: Germany in an Interconnected World Economy, (editor) A. Mody, International Monetary Fund, April 2013 (IMF Working Paper 11/211).

Growth Spillover Dynamics from Crisis to Recovery, (joint with H. Poirson) in: Germany in an Interconnected World Economy, (editor) A. Mody, International Monetary Fund, April 2013 (IMF Working Paper 11/218).

Mr. Nathaniel G Arnold & Mr. Ravi Balakrishnan & Ms. Bergljot B Barkbu & Mr. Hamid R Davoodi & Andresa Lagerborg & Mr. Waikei R Lam & Mr. Paulo A Medas & Ms. Julia Otten & Louise Rabier & Christiane R, 2022. "Reforming the EU Fiscal Framework: Strengthening the Fiscal Rules and Institutions," IMF Departmental Papers / Policy Papers 2022/014, International Monetary Fund.

Publications in Journals (Refereed)

Towbin, Pascal and Sebastian Weber, 2013. "Limits of floating exchange rates: The role of foreign currency debt and import structure," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 179-194.

Franks J, Gruss B, Mulas-Granados C, Patnam M, Weber S., 2022, "Reopening strategies, mobility and COVID-19 infections in Europe: panel data analysis." British Medical Journal Open. 2022 Feb 9;12(2)

Mirko Abbritti & Sebastian Weber, 2018. "Reassessing the Role of Labor Market Institutions for the Business Cycle," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 14(1), pages 1-34, January.

Beck, Roland and Sebastian Weber, 2011. "Should Large International Reserve Holdings be more Diversified?", International Finance, Vol. 14, pages. 415-444.

Juan-Sebastian Corrales & Patrick A. Imam & Sebastian Weber & Etienne Yehoue, 2016. "Dollarisation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), vol. 25(1), pages 28-54.

Arno Hantzsche & Simon Savsek & Sebastian Weber, 2018. "Labour Market Adjustments to Financing Conditions under Sectoral Rigidities in the Euro Area," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 769-794, September.

Other Published Materials

Labor Market Institutions and the Business Cycle: Real Wage vs. Unemployment Rigidities (joint with Mirko Abbritti), 2010, ECB Working Paper Series 1183

Sebastian Weber is a Deputy Division Chief in the European Department of the International Monetary Fund. He holds a PhD and a Masters in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and has formerly studied Politics and Economics at the University of Cape Town and the University of Hamburg, where he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Economics. His research interests include monetary policy, international macro and finance, development, and labor economics. Sebastian has been a consultant for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Bank. He also worked at the European Central Bank.

Email: SWEBER@imf.org

Fluent In: French, German, Italian.

Education:

Ph.D., Economics, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, 2006-2010

M.Sc., Economics Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, 2004-2006

B.A. (Honours), Economics, Hamburger Universität für Wirtschaft und Politik and University of Cape Town, 2001-2004


Previous Experience:

International Monetary Fund, Monetary and Capital Markets Department: Senior Economist, 2021-2022

International Monetary Fund, European Department: Economist/Senior Economist, 2017-2021

European Central Bank (leave from the IMF), Economics Department: Economist/Senior Economist, 2015-2017

International Monetary Fund, Research Department: Economist, 2013-2014

University of Navarra, Economics Department, Visiting Lecturer, 2013

International Monetary Fund, African Department: Economist Program, 2012-2013

International Monetary Fund, European Department: Economist Program, 2010-2012

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Consultant, 2009

World Bank, Consultant, 2009

European Central Bank, Intern, 2008

Deutsche Bank, Research, Intern, 2004


Current Position:

International Monetary Fund, European Department: Deputy Division Chief


Country work or Mission Assignment:

Angola, Belgium, Curacao and Sint Maarten, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Iceland, Netherlands, Niger


Field of Expertise:

Monetary Policy

Open Economy Macroeconomics

Labor Economics

International Finance

Development Economics

IMF Books and Working Papers:

Exiting from Lockdowns: Early Evidence from Reopenings in Europe , Working Paper No. 20/218 , October 21, 2020

Sectoral Policies for Climate Change Mitigation in the EU , Departmental Paper No.20/14 , September 16, 2020

Reassessing the Role of State-Owned Enterprises in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe , Departmental Paper No.19/11 , June 18, 2019

Market Regulation, Cycles and Growth in a Monetary Union , Working Paper No. 19/123 , June 03, 2019

Price Expectations and the U.S. Housing Boom , Working Paper No. 15/182 , July 30, 2015

Dollarization in Sub-Saharan Africa : Experiences and Lessons , African Departmental Paper No. 15/4 , May 15, 2015

Issuing International Sovereign Bonds: Opportunities and Challenges for Sub-Saharan Africa , African Departmental Paper No. 14/2 , June 04, 2014

Managing Volatile Capital Flows: Experiences and Lessons for Sub-Saharan African Frontier Markets , March 26, 2014

Assessing the Determinants of Interest Rate Transmission Through Conditional Impulse Response Functions , Working Paper No. 13/23 , January 25, 2013

Do Fiscal Spillovers Matter? , Working Paper No. 11/211 , September 01, 2011

Growth Spillover Dynamics From Crisis to Recovery , Working Paper No. 11/218 , September 01, 2011

Limits of Floating Exchange Rates : The Role of Foreign Currency Debt and Import Structure , Working Paper No. 11/42 , February 01, 2011

IMF Country Reports

Managing Volatile Capital Flows: Experiences and Lessons for Sub-Saharan African Frontier Markets Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa. (with C. Gueye, J. del Granado, R. Garcia-Verdu, M. Hussain, B. Jang, and J. Corrales), 2013, Washington DC: International Monetary Fund, 2013.

Issuing Sovereign Bonds under Easy Global Financial Conditions: A Sub-Saharan Africa Perspective Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa (with J. Kriljenko, C. Gueye, M. Mecagni, Y. Mu, and M. Yabara), 2013, Washington DC: International Monetary Fund, 2013.

Other Published Materials

Mr. Sebastian Weber & Mirko Abbritti & Agostino Consolo, 2021. "Endogenous Growth, Downward Wage Rigidities and Optimal Inflation," IMF Working Papers 2021/208, International Monetary Fund.

Mr. Sebastian Weber & Mirko Abbritti, 2019. "Market Regulation, Cycles and Growth in a Monetary Union," IMF Working Papers 2019/123, International Monetary Fund.

Do Fiscal Spillovers Matter?, (joint with A. Ivanova), in: Germany in an Interconnected World Economy, (editor) A. Mody, International Monetary Fund, April 2013 (IMF Working Paper 11/211).

Growth Spillover Dynamics from Crisis to Recovery, (joint with H. Poirson) in: Germany in an Interconnected World Economy, (editor) A. Mody, International Monetary Fund, April 2013 (IMF Working Paper 11/218).

Mr. Nathaniel G Arnold & Mr. Ravi Balakrishnan & Ms. Bergljot B Barkbu & Mr. Hamid R Davoodi & Andresa Lagerborg & Mr. Waikei R Lam & Mr. Paulo A Medas & Ms. Julia Otten & Louise Rabier & Christiane R, 2022. "Reforming the EU Fiscal Framework: Strengthening the Fiscal Rules and Institutions," IMF Departmental Papers / Policy Papers 2022/014, International Monetary Fund.

Publications in Journals (Refereed)

Towbin, Pascal and Sebastian Weber, 2013. "Limits of floating exchange rates: The role of foreign currency debt and import structure," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 179-194.

Franks J, Gruss B, Mulas-Granados C, Patnam M, Weber S., 2022, "Reopening strategies, mobility and COVID-19 infections in Europe: panel data analysis." British Medical Journal Open. 2022 Feb 9;12(2)

Mirko Abbritti & Sebastian Weber, 2018. "Reassessing the Role of Labor Market Institutions for the Business Cycle," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 14(1), pages 1-34, January.

Beck, Roland and Sebastian Weber, 2011. "Should Large International Reserve Holdings be more Diversified?", International Finance, Vol. 14, pages. 415-444.

Juan-Sebastian Corrales & Patrick A. Imam & Sebastian Weber & Etienne Yehoue, 2016. "Dollarisation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), vol. 25(1), pages 28-54.

Arno Hantzsche & Simon Savsek & Sebastian Weber, 2018. "Labour Market Adjustments to Financing Conditions under Sectoral Rigidities in the Euro Area," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 769-794, September.

Other Published Materials

Labor Market Institutions and the Business Cycle: Real Wage vs. Unemployment Rigidities (joint with Mirko Abbritti), 2010, ECB Working Paper Series 1183