Negotiations stalled last week on more federal relief to address the coronavirus crisis. The sticking point seems to have been unemployment insurance (UI).  Continue reading “Barriers to Wage Replacement Schemes”

Since March, countries around the globe have implemented policies to support individuals and households through the downturn that has resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last five months countries have implemented different economic policies in response to various stages of the pandemic. Based on the YPFS four-phase model of the economic consequences of the pandemic, Run-Rescue-Recession-Recovery, this blogpost discusses different policy trajectories and economic outcomes for countries at different stages of the pandemic, with a focus on support to individuals.  Continue reading “Cross-country Comparison of Economic Outcomes and Policy Responses to Support Individuals in June”

As coronavirus cases continue to rise around the world, governments have started to extend mortgage forbearance and other relief policies that they launched back in March and April when the crisis began. Continue reading “Governments Extend Mortgage Forbearance and Other Relief as Virus Endures”

Many insurance supervisors have provided temporary relief to help companies manage during the COVID-19 crisis. Most of this relief comes in the form of extended deadlines for submitting various reports or provisions that make remote compliance easier. Regulators have also suspended supervisory activities and loosened accounting rules. Continue reading “COVID-19 and Insurance (2 of 3): Operational Regulatory Relief”