IMF Podcasts

The 26-odd countries in the Caribbean may be small, but they are facing many of the same challenges confronting larger nations. These include the need to create more jobs and ensure that any growth is spread across a wide cross section of society. The countries of the Caribbean and various international organizations are meeting in the Bahamas to discuss how to capture that elusive growth.

Kenya is one of the success stories of Africa's economic resurgence. Just a few short years after the global financial crisis caused a sharp economic downturn, the country has rebounded, and earned a reputation as one of the continent's frontier economies. With this strong performance in mind, the Kenya and the IMF will co-host a conference to discuss the country's prospects.

Myanmar has made impressive strides in opening and liberalizing the economy, boosting growth and the economic outlook, but the formerly isolated country still faces some challenges.

Economic growth in the developing world has been accompanied by massive increases in higher education enrollment. This can feed a country's development—but it also puts new pressures on a country's leaders and workers.

As the economies of the developing world expand, new jobs beckon. But Richard Freeman says these countries have seen a surprising persistence of informal sector jobs—which offer low pay and scant worker protection.

Si vous faites partie de ces milliers de gens qui envoient de l'argent à leurs parents et amis à l'étranger, attention! Peut-être faites-vous autant de mal que de bien, selon un économiste du FMI. Ces envois de fonds peuvent certes secourir des familles dans le besoin, mais ils peuvent aussi saper la croissance économique.

If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who send money abroad to friends and relatives, beware! You may be doing as much harm as good, suggests one IMF economist. Although these remittances can be a lifeline for families, they can also undermine economic growth.

Developed countries need to be industrious like ants, says economist, Peter Blair Henry. For years they have offered advice to developing countries on the best path to growth. They might benefit from heeding some of their own advice, he suggests.

La croissance de l'économie mondiale est inférieure aux prévisions, note le FMI dans son dernier rapport sur les Perspectives de l'économie mondiale. Le FMI a révisé à la baisse la croissance pour cette année à 3,1 %, et préviens que les risques augmentent en particulier dans les pays émergents.

The global economy is growing more slowly than expected, says the IMF in its latest assessment. It's revise growth downwards to 3.1 percent this year, and warns risks are rising in emerging markets.