IMF World Economic Outlook Update

World Economic Outlook Update – Contractionary Forces Receding But Weak Recovery Ahead, July 8, 2009

“The global economy is beginning to pull out of a recession unprecedented in the postWorld War II era, but stabilization is uneven and the recovery is expected to be sluggish. Economic growth during 200910 is now projected to be about ½ percentage points higher than projected in the April 2009 World Economic Outlook (WEO), reaching 2.5 percent in 2010. Financial conditions have improved more than expected, owing mainly to public intervention, and recent data suggest that the rate of decline in economic activity is moderating, although to varying degrees among regions. Despite these positive signs, the global recession is not over, and the recovery is still expected to be slow, as financial systems remain impaired, support from public policies will gradually diminish, and households in countries that suffered asset price busts will rebuild savings. The main policy priority remains restoring financial sector health. Macroeconomic policies need to stay supportive, while preparing the ground for an orderly unwinding of extraordinary levels of public intervention. At the same time, given weak internal demand prospects in a number of current account deficit countries, including the United States, policies need to sustain stronger demand in key surplus countries.”

IMF World Economic Outlook Update

Thank you!