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Italy

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Italy

2014 Article IV Consultation – Staff Report

IMF,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Economic reform would put Italy on a firmer path to recovery than the one it is currently on.

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Innovative
  • Scientific

Recommendation

Present-day Italy is behaving like a value stock: Its potential is greater than its present worth due to impairments such as repressive regulation, political gridlock, sclerotic economic activity and banks’ nonperforming loans. Written in the dry narrative of an economist, this report from the International Monetary Fund is nonetheless rich in examples of Italy’s current disorder as well as in recommended fixes. getAbstract recommends this analysis to economists, portfolio managers and business executives.

Summary

Italy’s economy suffers from “tight credit conditions, weak corporate balance sheets and deeply rooted structural rigidities.” Its public finances are in disarray, and high unemployment and stagnant wages weigh down its recovery as well. The country’s malaise affects the south disproportionately: GDP fell by more than twice as much in the south as it did in the north from 2007 to 2013, and unemployment is four percentage points higher in the south. Public sector corruption is an ongoing issue, and an inefficient judiciary constrains the economy: “It takes more than a thousand days to enforce a contract in...

About the Author

The International Monetary Fund advises member nations on policy issues and works to promote economic stability and well-being.


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