Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Jeffrey Frankel

Author

Jeffrey Frankel
Professor at Harvard Kennedy School

Jeffrey Frankel is Professor at Harvard Kennedy School. He serves on the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research. His Economics PhD is from MIT. Before Harvard, he was Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. He served at the US President’s Council of Economic Advisers in 1983-84 and 1996-99.

Content by this Author

Rethinking the macroeconomics of resource-rich countries

After years of high commodity prices, a new era of lower prices, especially for oil, will be challenging for resource-rich countries, which must cope with the decline in income and the potential widening of internal and external imbalances. This column summarises a recent eBook in which leading economists examine the shifting landscape in commodity markets and explore the exchange rate, monetary and fiscal policy options, as well as the role of finance, including sovereign wealth funds and diversification.

A new exchange rate regime for oil-exporting countries

Currency pegs in the Gulf economies have forced monetary policy to be pro-cyclical, exacerbating the effects of swings in the oil market on the business cycle. This column proposes a new exchange rate regime for oil-exporting countries: one in which the currency is pegged to a basket that includes commodities along with currencies.

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Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

Egypt’s manufacturing sector faces a dual challenge of weak job creation and persistent informality. Drawing on survey evidence on business behaviour and labour market dynamics, this column explains why job creation is limited and informal work remains such an integral part of how firms organise production. The generation of more formal jobs requires a comprehensive policy approach, one that goes beyond enforcement of labour regulations to reshape the economic environment in which firms and workers make decisions.

Challenges of conflict and industrial policy for development

How effective is industrial policy as a tool for long-term economic growth and development? Against the backdrop of the conflict currently engulfing the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP), a new report argues that while industrial policies are widely used across the region, they can only address market failures and foster growth when they are aligned with country capabilities, implemented with accountability and backed by capable institutions.

The green transition in MENA economies: challenges and policy pathways

The economies of the Middle East and North Africa are at a critical turning point. Global decarbonisation pressures, energy market volatility and technological transformation are increasingly challenging hydrocarbon-based growth models. This column argues that the green transition is not only an environmental necessity but also a strategic economic imperative.




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