By: Kimberly Waithe Loans from commercial banks in Barbados stand at one of its lowest levels since the early 1990s. In fact, commercial bank credit has been sluggish since 2009, averaging around 0.6% annually over the past five years with recent figures showing a decline by -1.1%. This outturn represents a significant reversal considering that during 2004 to 2008 due to a … [Read more...] about What’s happening with loan growth in Barbados?
economic growth
Jamaica takes the leap in Doing Business Indicators: 5 lessons for the wider Caribbean
The World Bank Doing Business indicators have long been regarded as a measure of competitiveness across the globe, sometimes controversially as is the Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum. While some countries ignore the rankings, others make a concerted effort to improve the factors attributable to the indicators. After all, who knows which investor is … [Read more...] about Jamaica takes the leap in Doing Business Indicators: 5 lessons for the wider Caribbean
Is there something wrong with the Caribbean?
This blog is the second in our series of five blogs on economic stagnation in the Caribbean. Our first blog “Smallness hurts, but does it constrain growth?” showed that, while smallness creates several economic problems, it does not constrain growth. With that as a starting point, in this post we illustrate two important ways in which the Caribbean stands … [Read more...] about Is there something wrong with the Caribbean?
Smallness hurts, but does it constrain growth?
Recent research presented in Is There a Caribbean Sclerosis? Stagnating Economic Growth in the Caribbean and Does Size Matter? Yes, If You are Caribbean! shows that small economies—defined as countries with populations of less than 3 million—face several unique size-driven macroeconomic challenges and discusses whether or not smallness actually represents a binding constraint … [Read more...] about Smallness hurts, but does it constrain growth?
Unemployment and Growth: Does Okun’s Law Apply to Trinidad and Tobago?
by CCB Caribbean Economics Team CCB’s Caribbean Economics Team is pleased to send the tenth Issue of the Caribbean Region Quarterly Bulletin. Are output changes and the unemployment rate related in Trinidad and Tobago? According to the economic theory known as Okun's Law, the two variables should be negatively correlated, and for the United States this relation holds … [Read more...] about Unemployment and Growth: Does Okun’s Law Apply to Trinidad and Tobago?