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WIFO Austrian Institute of Economic Research


WIFO: South Europe Needs New Industrial Policy

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) stresses that Spain, Greece and Portugal need new growth measures instead of austerity cuts.
December 15, 2012


„Austria Grows Stronger than Expected“

According to the economic research institute Synthesis, Austria´s economic growth is higher than WIFO and IHS say. The employment situation would be too good.
December 13, 2012


WIFO: South Europe Needs Change in Strategy

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) underlines that the austerity policy in South European countries did not help at all.
December 12, 2012


Austria Might Prevent Recession Scenario

According to the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), Austria´s economic performance remains weak.
December 10, 2012


Austrians Reject Further Bank Aids

About 61% of the Austrian citizens are against further bank aids by the Austrian state. Economists fear that the bank aids are lost forever.
November 28, 2012


KA Finanz: Capital Shortfall to Become Bigger

The financially stricken bank is expected to need further cash contributions.
November 24, 2012


Nowotny: GDP Forecast Will not Hold

The governor of Austria´s National Bank Ewald Nowotny admits that the forecast on Austria will have to be revised.
November 21, 2012


FMA: „Austria is Open to Blackmail by Banks”

Kurt Pribil, director of the Austrian Financial Market Authority, thinks that the nationalization of banks has shown that the Austrian state is still under pressure.
October 23, 2012


Banking Package: Austria to Lose Billions

Hannes Androsch, member of the publicly owned bank holding company Fimbag, fears that Austria´s losses will be substantial.
October 22, 2012


Austrian Budget: Experts Call for Further Reforms (Part 3)

Economists think that the budget does not contain enough reform steps. The opposition does not see any signs of progress.
October 16, 2012


Austrian Budget: Experts Call for Further Reforms (Part 2)

Austrian economic research institutes criticize the state budget and want the government to show more ambition.
October 16, 2012


Austria May Escape the Crisis

According to the latest forecast by IMF, expected economic growth in Austria comes at 0.9% this year. In the CEE countries, an average economic growth of 2.0% is forecasted.
October 9, 2012


Flat Tax in Austria?

The Austrian opposition party presented a “fair tax” model. The other parties criticized the proposal fiercely.
October 6, 2012


Mitterlehner: „No Economic Stimulus Package“

Austria´s Minister of Economics rejects another stimulus package for the Austrian industrial sector. The budgetary situation would not allow that, he says.
October 4, 2012


WIFO: Economic Outlook for Austria Worsens

According to the Austrian economic research institute WIFO, the economic framework conditions indicate a further slowdown.
September 28, 2012


Austrian Unit Labor Costs Down

Austrian enterprises become more competitive. Last year, unit labor costs were down by 4%.
September 26, 2012


Banking Package: Costs up to € 4.8bn

The Austrian Audit Court expects that the banking package will be much more expensive than it was said before. Moreover, the Audit Court criticizes the government massively. The control mechanism would be too weak.
September 26, 2012


Austrian Employment Growing Moderately Until 2016

The Austrian economic research institute WIFO forecasts that 173,000 new jobs will be created until 2016.
September 25, 2012


VBAG to Cut More than 1,000 Jobs

Today, the Austrian problem bank announced to sharpen its austerity program radically. Until 2017, VBAG must be downsized to the half of its current size.
September 21, 2012


Costs of Austrian Banking Package: € 2.36bn

Since 2008, the Austrian government has resolved rescue packages worth € 21bn. Expenses totaled € 4.169bn, revenues reached € 1.814bn.
September 19, 2012


Austrian Economy to Stagnate

In the third quarter of 2012, economic growth in Austria will come to zero, Bank Austria says.
September 14, 2012


Euro-Crisis Enters Austria

In the second quarter, the Austrian GDP only grew by 0.1%, WIFO says (Austrian Institute of Economic Research). A recession is not excluded anymore.
September 10, 2012


Grexit: Aiginger Warns of Shock in the Balkan Region

Wifo´s (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) director Karl Aiginger thinks that a Greek exit would not only cause big problems for Greece itself, but for the whole Balkan region.
August 21, 2012


Further Increase in Austrian National Debt

Due to the European debt crisis, Austria´s public debt level will increase from 72.2% to 74.7% of the country´s GDP.
July 16, 2012


WIFO Wants Unlimited Firewall

According to the Austrian Institute of Economic Research, the firewall must be big enough in order to make speculation against the euro unattractive.
June 28, 2012


Slow Growth in First Quarter

In the first three months of 2012, the Austrian economy grew by 0.3% against the prior quarter. The outlook is very cautious.
June 9, 2012


Austrian Chamber of Economics Claims Growth Package

Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce thinks that Austria and Europe would both need growth and austerity measures.
May 25, 2012


Austrian Economy Grows Slowly

After a period of stagnation, the Austrian economy showed a small growth rate of 0.2% in the first quarter of 2012.
May 15, 2012


Stable Development of Austrian Economy

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) forecasts a decent, but stable economic growth in 2012.
May 10, 2012


Psychic Diseases: Costs of € 3.3bn

The number of staff away sick in Austria rose by 100% since 1995.
April 11, 2012


Failed Austerity Package: „Austrian Rating Not Affected“

Bernhard Felderer, director of IHS (Institute of Advanced Studies) thinks that the incomplete austerity package has no effect on Austria´s prospects to return to the Triple-A status.
April 7, 2012


Economic Upswing for Austria?

The economic research institutes IHS and WIFO anticipate that the Austrian economy accelerates by summer 2012. Both warn of “too much euphoria”, however.
March 29, 2012


Budget: Wifo Misses Future Investments

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (Wifo) commented the government´s draft of the budget. There is still a lack in active fiscal policy, Wifo states.
March 26, 2012


Banks have CEE-Subsidiaries „Under Control“

RBI´s CEO Herbert Stepic criticizes the skepticism against banking in Central and Eastern Europe. The economist Aiginger sees more advantages than risks for Austrian banks.
March 21, 2012


WIFO Forecasts Economic Stabilization

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) expects a slight improvement in the Austrian economic development. Upward indicators become more significant.
March 9, 2012


„Banks are the Real Austrian Problem“

The Austrian opposition criticizes the rescue of VBAG by the government massively. Further bank aids are feared.
February 28, 2012


Austerity Package Has Lack in Structural Reforms

The industrialists regard the Austrian austerity package even-tempered. WIFO misses structural reforms.
February 11, 2012


Austrian Government Presents € 27bn Austerity Package

The largest austerity package in Austria´s history mainly consists of cuts in expenditures. The government emphasized the socially balanced measures and the necessity due to reasons of competitiveness.
February 11, 2012


Problems on European Level as Burden for Austria

Over the last months, the European economy lost its impetus, which is a major burden for the Austrian economy.
February 9, 2012


Low Growth Rates Expected after 2012

In a medium-term forecast, the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) expects only very decent economic growth rates.
January 23, 2012


Government to Sharpen Austerity Measures

After the downgrade of Austrian sovereign bonds from „AAA“ to „AA+“ by S&P, the Austrian government aims to reach its austerity targets earlier.
January 17, 2012


Downgrade: „It´s Time to Take Action“

The downgrade of Austria´s rating from “AAA” to “AA+” caused mixed reactions. The Austrian economy urges for structural actions.
January 15, 2012


Dismal Prospects for Construction Industry

According to WIFO (Austrian Institute of Economic Research), the Austrian construction industry will face stagnation in 2012.
January 9, 2012


„We Are at the Tipping Point“

2012 will be a crucial year for Europe and Austria, says the director of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO). The coming decade will be coined by debt reduction.
January 5, 2012


Worsening Economic Outlook for 2012

Economists and analysts expect a massive fall in Austrian economic growth for 2012.
January 4, 2012


Too Little Competition for Energy and Pharmaceuticals

According to the Austrian institute of economic research (WIFO), electricity, energy and pharmaceuticals are too expensive.
January 2, 2012


Industry Wants to Suspend Banking Tax

The new capital requirements for banks are criticized by the Federation of Austrian Industries and the research institute WIFO.
December 29, 2011


Crisis Reaches Austria’s Real Economy in 2012

Economic growth will collapse next year, investment activities and consumption will suffer from the crisis. A recovery is expected for 2013.
December 21, 2011


Austria Falls In Recession in 2012

According to analysts of Raiffeisen Research, the Austrian economy could shrink by 0.5% in 2012. Up to now, only a small growth rate has been expected by economists.
November 22, 2011


No Growth in Construction Industry in 2012

Austrian companies fear the effects of the debt brake while they still suffer from the consequences of the recession of 2009.
November 17, 2011