Tiongson, Erwin R.; Sugawara, Naotaka; Sulla, Victor; Taylor, Ashley; Gueorguieva, Anna I.; Levin, Victoria; Subbarao, Kalanidhi
Description:
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region
has been hit by a crisis on multiple fronts. Countries in
ECA are facing major, interrelated, external macro-financial
shocks. The first is the global growth slowdown leading to
falling export market demand. In addition, the prospects for
inflows of remittances to low-income countries have been
downgraded as economic activity in migrant host countries
has declined. The second is the financial deleveraging by
major banks and other financial institutions in developed
economies, which has markedly reduced the availability, and
increased the cost, of external finance across public,
corporate, and financial sectors. The third is the recent
commodity price changes, which have involved a reversal of
much of the commodity price boom of 2007 and 2008. The main
objective of the study is to understand the impact of these
macroeconomic shocks on household well-being. In particular,
it seeks to understand the key macroeconomic shocks
confronted by the region and the impact of such shocks on
household welfare, including the effect on household income
flows, consumption levels, and liabilities. It will also
assess possible strategies to cope with the crisis and
manage the adverse social impact.