Baltic Archive

The epidemicIn the EU, the infection curve is moving downwards, but Ester effects may still affect the figures.In the UK, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have all continued to fall. So far, at least 47% of the population has had at least one sh..

• In March, in Estonia, consumer prices rose by 1.1%, over the year. • Higher prices of motor fuels, food, and electricity contributed. • Swedbank expects inflation to reach 1.5% in 2021 and 2.0% in 2022. Annual inflation has accelerated from 0..

Data until February suggest a more than decent start of the year. In February, following an improvement in January, household consumption rose by an additional 2% over the month. Spending on housing contributed the most, while spending on restauran..

The epidemicReported cases in the EU have declined, but the data must be interpreted with caution as Easter holiday effects may affect the figures. In the UK, both daily cases and deaths have declined further.In the US, daily cases reported over th..

The epidemicEU and UK cases have declined slightly in recent days, but this could be affected by reporting issues. Cases have risen in Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Germany.In the US, cases are rising again and the decline in deaths has sta..

Tourism below 2012 levels in Baltics, yet fast route to recovery in sight2020 was ruinous for tourism, with millions around the world in lockdownThe blow in the Baltics was softened by local tourism Vaccination seems to clear the route to recovery ..

The pandemic situation has worsened in recent weeks and lockdown measures are on the rise.But the Nordic economies, including the labour markets, have shown resilience so far.

The European economy is waking up from its hibernationECB steps up stimulus signalling this is not the time for tightening of financial conditionsPolitical shifts have both upside and downside risks, but could even result in deeper integration..

Despite the rollercoaster during the year 2020 caused by the global pandemic, housing remained affordable in all three Baltic capitals. After severely damaged market activity during the first wave of the pandemic, the end of the year brought a spec..

New EU disclosure rules will reduce greenwashing and speed up the green transition Modest effects on rates in the short term, but large impact in the long run Green trends boosted in the Nordics; direct effects in the Baltics will be smaller The EU..

Economic divergence continues in services and manufacturing.Inflation lifts its head and we expect annual inflation to reach 1.5% in 2021.ECB is likely to emphasize that the PEPP is flexible and that asset purchases are front-loaded.We do not expec..

In the fourth quarter, in Estonia, average gross wage amounted to 1515 euros, up by 2.9%, over the year. In 2020, the average wage increased by 2.9%, too. That is much less than before the crisis, for example, in 2015-2019, the average gross wage r..

Average wage up 6.2% in 2020 - only slightly slower than in 2019.Total wages rose more slowly than average wage, reflecting reduced working hours and job shedding.Most sectors saw slowdown, while only a few recorded a decline. Average wage growth r..

In 2020, Estonian GDP fell by 2.9% in real terms and 3.4% in nominal terms. The result was close to our expectations – our forecast, published in January, was -2.7%. In addition, GDP results for the first three quarters were revised down by 1.1 pp...

GDP in Q4 grew 1.1% vs Q3. The economy was 1.5% behind last year’s level.GDP in 2020 fell by 3.6% - a slightly worse result than the flash estimate suggestedMain negative contributor in Q4 and the whole year was private consumption, while export pe..

The dire epidemiological situation in Baltics and ensuing restrictions caused a steep fall in card spending at the start of 2021. However, the fall overall is less pronounced than in spring. Total transactions are down 10% in Lithuania and Estonia,..

The Nordic economies stand strong and pre-crisis GDP levels are within reach.The pandemic still threatens the recovery as mutation variants spread and vaccination lags.Special theme: Targeted and timely support to businesses remains crucial.Fiscal ..

Unemployment rate down to 7.9% in Q4, but recent months have seen growing ranks of the unemployed.Part of the rise is seasonal, but effect of restrictions to economic activity is evidently increasing.Government support is becoming more and more gen..

In the fourth quarter of 2020, in Estonia, employment shrank by 2.8%, over the year, and the unemployment rate amounted to 7.4%, somewhat less than the 7.7% in Q3. The number of the unemployed increased by 24,000, in a year. In 2020, employment d..

Data on PEPP transactions in December and January show a clear decline in QE purchases. In December-January, the total net purchases in the PEPP was 110 bn euros, roughly 23 bn less than in October-November and far below top levels seen during summ..

GDP in Q4 2020 increased by 1.1% over the previous quarterThe economy was just 1.4% below levels of the final quarter of 2019, also known as the pre-crisis level The virus crisis has resulted in a fall in GDP of 3.5% in 2020. A markedly better resu..

Economy expands 1.2% q/q in Q4In 2020 economy shrinks only 0.9% Lithuanian economy defied expectations yet again. Despite spending most of the quarter under restrictions to economic activity, Lithuania managed to achieve quarterly economic g..

Today’s ECB meeting was uneventful, which was expected.No policy changes, but clear emphasis on flexibility and readiness to adjusts measures if needed.After a decision-packed December meeting, there were no expectations about today’s ECB meeting, ..

Economies cooled at the fastest rate in a decadeWeaker labour markets and inflation are the primary drivers of cooling Unsurprisingly, temperature of the Baltic economies dropped rapidly due to the massive pandemic shock. In all three cou..

Prices of goods decrease by 1.4%Prices of services increase by 1.6% Average price of services keeps increasing in Latvia at a diminishing rate. Average price of goods continues to decrease due to lack of demand caused by coronavirus restrictions.

Last year's deflation was caused by sluggish demand and a decline in taxes.Inflation should return in the second quarter this year. Consumer prices decreased by 0.4% in Estonia in 2020, one of the weakest price recordings in the euro area. Prices ..

Tariff-free trade with the EU, but non-tariff barriers will be significant.Limited short-run effects on EU-UK trade despite initial disruptions.Third-country deals may partially offset reduced trade, but resumed EU talks will be key.On Christmas Ev..

Our survey results suggest that around one-half of currently remotely working persons had no telework experience before the Covid-19 crisis hit.Productivity losses were reported by about one-third of respondents, while less than one-fifth managed t..

Composite PMI bounces back to 49.8 Industry continues outperforming Services improve substantially despite restrictions December brought a welcome surprise. Flash estimate showed recovering economic activity levels in Europe. It could mean that t..

Third quarter marks a recovery in the housing market Housing affordability remained high throughout the three quarters of 2020. In the third quarter, housing affordability increased in Estonia (+2.8) and Latvia (+4.1), while decreasing in Lithuania..

Average price level drops by 0.7% in NovemberPrices of goods decrease by 1.6% Prices of services increase by 1.4% While services keep increasing at a slower rate in November, goods have experienced a decrease of average price level by 1.6% caused b..

Innovative use of QE, policy rates, and TLTROs will going forward be key tools for the ECB The monetary toolkit has expanded massively in the past decade; the focus will be on how the tools interact, which will offer more opportunities to fine-tune..

The Nordic economies are struggling with the consequences of the Corona pandemic, but so far, the region’s resilience has been surprisingly strongGDP growth this year will fall in all the Nordics by around 4%, much less than in most other developed..

GDP recovered by 7.1% QoQ, but was still down by 2.6% YoY in Q3 2020.Growth was boosted by strong recovery in private consumption and exports, albeit remaining under last year’s levels. Value added improved notably in catering and accommodation, as..

In the third quarter of 2020, Estonian economy dropped by 1.9% y/y in real terms (seasonally and working day non-adjusted). Seasonally and working day adjusted GDP rose by 3.3% q/q. The result was close to our expectations. In the first three quart..

Gross wage growth accelerated from 1.0% in the second quarter to 3.1% in the third quarter, over the year, as economic activity increased, and the government’s wage support programme ended (substantially lower wages was one of the indicators to qua..

Gross wages up 10.4% annually in Q3Low earners more often drop out of the labour market Wage growth in Lithuania has been particularly strong given the precarious situation in the global economy. After the slowdown in the 2nd quarter in..

Card spending and cash withdrawal in the Baltics somewhat declined as virus case count surged. However, transactions are still holding up better than during the first wave.Card spending and cash withdrawal in Q4 has increased by 3.7% YoY in Lithuan..

Negotiations have entered a critical phase, while disagreements persistAn agreement remains our baseline scenario, but the risk of a no-deal lingersTime for reaching a deal is running out, as ratification of an agreement is required A trade deal is..

• The unemployment rate increased in the third quarter in Estonia and is expected to rise further during the winter months. According to Statistics Estonia, employment fell by 3.6% in the third quarter, over the year, mostly in the services’ sect..

The average price level fell by 0.7% over a year in October. Goods’ prices decreased by 1.6%, but prices of services grew by 1.5%. The main inflation limiting factors were transport related costs (due to low fuel prices), and housing related costs,..

Looks like a “blue shift” is comingVolatile day in the marketsCounting will continue in the days to come

No matter what, Trump has done a surprisingly strong electionThe financial markets are awaiting a resultEconomic implications to depend on the President & Congress races

Joe Biden’s economic plan is expected to lift GDP growth in the years to come… but the plan would also come with some long-run risks.From a global and regional perspective, the Biden policy would be more predictable.In this analysis, we dig further..

The US election night will keep many people busy. The opening and closing times for polling stations differ across the country and some initial results (e.g. Florida) may be more important to look at. If the race is very tight, it could take days, ..

GDP in Q3 2020 grew by 3.7% compared with the previous quarter and was 1.7% below last year’s levelQuickly worsening epidemiological situation casts gloom on recovery – Q4 is likely to be weaker, but nowhere near as bad as the second quarter GDP ..

GDP in Q3 saw very strong growth, but more is required to recoup last year’s levels GDP in Q3 2020 up by 6.6% over the previous quarter, but still 3.1% behind levels of last year The spread of the virus casts gloom on recovery – Q4 is likely to s..

Exports have been recovering from the spring trough in all the Baltic countries Increased net exports have softened the drop of GDP, especially in Lithuania Baltic countries have gained market shares of their exported goods in the EUExports from al..

In this crisis, the Russian economy had to confront two shocks at the same time – the coronavirus outbreak and the steep decline in oil prices caused by the pandemic.The slump in oil prices and oil production cuts have led to a decline in Russia’s ..

Our base case is a Joe Biden victory and a Democratic clean sweep… …but much can still happen, and absentee voting will increase a lot.Likelihood of major political turbulence is low, but would affect financial markets most.The US election is comin..

• Deflation amounted to 1.1% in Estonia in September, over the year. • We expect prices to decline by 0.4% in 2020. In September, the fall in consumer prices deepened from 0.9% in August to 1.1% in September. Food prices increased less than befor..

Surprisingly small effects from the corona outbreak on construction activity in Finland.Stimulating monetary policy continues to boost supply through cheap funding costs for constructors and demand both through the cheap funding channel and lack of..

During the second quarter of 2020, the Baltic economies, like the rest of the world, were hit by the corona crisis. In the housing markets of the Baltic capitals, it was the secondary market that bore the brunt of pandemic damage. There was a drop ..

Prices of goods are down by 1% Prices of services rose by 1.6% While the price growth of services remained stable, the price growth of goods back to the negative territory due to cheaper fuel.

Wage growth slowed, but remained in positive territory, at 3.9% y/y in Q2Most sectors saw slowdown, while only a few recorded a declineWages picked up at a similar annual pace in both public and private sector Despite a substantial slump in economi..

GDP down by 8.9% YoY in Q2 2020, and by 5.4% in the first half of 2020Growth during crisis dragged down chiefly by private consumption Value added fell the most in catering and accommodation, arts and recreation and transport The second reading of ..

Quarterly rate revised down to -5.5%Economy contracted only 4.2% y/yExternal sector cushioned the impact As more data rolls out the extent of economic damage caused by the pandemic is revealed. Second quarter performance of Lithuanian econom..

Estonian economy dropped less than expected in Q2In the second quarter of 2020, Estonian economy dropped by 6.9% y/y in real terms and 8.4% in nominal terms. Seasonally and working day adjusted GDP dropped by 5.6% q/q. The result exceeded our expec..

• The average gross wage increased by only 1.0%, over the year, in the second quarter. • Swedbank expects wages to grow by 2.2% this year. Less work means lower pay Gross wage growth decelerated from 4.8% in the first quarter to 1.0% in the seco..

Green investments account only for a tiny share of global stimulus announced so far. Announced green stimulus in our home markets ranges from around 2 % of GDP in Denmark to 0.02 % in Sweden, where more is expected. Equally important to avoid suppo..

On the back of strong momentum, the coronavirus crisis did not significantly affect Lithuanian exports, which dropped by 2.4% (excluding mineral products) during the first six months of 2020. Food and fertiliser production, which constitute a big s..

Unemployment rate up to 8.6% in Q2, less than expectedEmployment down by 1.5% y/yWeakest point in the labour market likely behind us Despite a record quarterly drop in economic activity, the worsening in the labour market in Q2 was smaller than we ..

• The unemployment rate increased moderately in the second quarter but has been stable since then.• We expect the unemployment rate to reach around 8% this year and then decrease again next year. According to Statistics Estonia, employment fell ..

In July, price change of goods came out of negative territory that led to 0.5% annual inflation in Latvia. Prices of goods did not change. Prices of services rose by 1.6%.In 2020 inflation could remain low – in 7 months prices rose by only 0.7%.

Recovery led by industry and exportsGDP growth surprised on the upside in Q2, supported by net exports and inventories. Exports have been boosted by medical products and electronics, as China produces many of the goods necessary in a pandemic. Tota..

GDP down in Q2 2020 by 9.8% YoY and 7.5% over the previous quarterRecovery was rapid right after the relaxation of measures, but expected to lose strength as global growth disappointsGDP in Q2 declined in line with forecasts, following a sharper-th..

It seems as if someone forgot to inform Lithuanian economy that economic crisis of a century is ravaging the global economy. Lithuanian Real GDP dropped barely 3.8% in annual terms, beating all estimates by a wide margin. It was evident from..

Prices of goods fell by 1.6% Prices of services rose by 1.3% The spread of coronavirus in Latvia is well controlled and the restrictions introduced in March were eased quite quickly. Therefore, the situation with price changes is starting to stabil..

Environmental protection area remains pivotal in speeding up progress – no country is on track to meet environmental goals in UN 2030 Agenda. All Nordic countries perform well on governance and institutions, whereas the Baltics have a lot of catchi..

The construction of the new railway will have a substantial impact on the Baltic economies,boosting demand for construction materials and services, even when many goods and services are imported. The new fast railway line from Estonia’s capital to ..

At the start of 2020, the housing market in the Baltics was still unfazed by the pandemic. Overall housing affordability was high in all the capitals. However, housing affordability in Tallinn and Vilnius decreased in the first quarter, compared wi..

Prices of goods fell by 1.6% Prices of services rose by 1.8% Despite the signs of weakness prices of services maintained the positive rate of change. But prices of goods plunged deeper in the negative area. Prices of transport decreased significant..

GDP down in Q1 2020 by 1.5% YoY, and 2.9% QoQ Growth dragged down by private consumption Value added fell the most in transport as well as arts and recreationThe second reading of GDP figures was little changed from the flash estimate.Swedbank expe..

In Estonia, GDP contracted 0.7% yoy (non-adjusted) and 3.7% qoq (seasonally and working day adjusted) in 1QThe steep fall in VAT and excise taxes contributed negatively, while the gross value added increased 2% yoy. There were more economic activit..

Labour market weakened, unemployment rate up to 7.4% in Q1Wage growth moderated to 6.6% y/y in Q1, led by the private sectorWeaker developments expected in Q2Although the virus containment measures were in force for just a couple of weeks, labour m..

• Wage growth decelerated to 4.8%, over the year, in Q1. • Swedbank expects wages to grow by only 0.5% this year. Wage growth decelerated in the first quarter Gross wage growth decelerated to 4.8%, over the year, in the first quarter. The averag..

• Labour market figures were still strong before the crisis. • Data has deteriorated rapidly since March. Corona crisis did not affect Q1 data Q1 labour market survey was carried out between January and March, i.e. before the crisis hit. Therefo..

Prices of goods fell by 0.8% Prices of services rose by 2.1% Fuel prices and prices of housing related services pulled inflation down. Fuel prices followed global oil prices and were down by 20%. Housing related services were cheaper due to previou..

GDP in Q1 declined by 1.4% following an already unimpressive performance at the end of 2019. The drop versus the previous quarter was a substantial 2.9%.

Lithuanian GDP contracted -0.2 % in quarterly terms Overall, despite everything, economy expanded 2.6 % y/y Second quarter will bear the brunt of the damage The global pandemic has affected Lithuanian growth and derailed a trend of strong expans..

Historical drops in GDP in the Nordics while unemployment surges Private consumption takes a deep hit due to containment measures Special theme: Temporary layoffs mitigate the effect on the labour markets

Annual inflation 1.4% in March.Prices of services grew faster than prices of goods.Weaker price growth in March 2020 was a result of broad range of obstacles, e.g., falling price of Brent oil that resulted in lower price of fuel, reduced tariffs of..

• Annual inflation reached 0.9% in March in Estonia. • In 2020, we expect inflation to amount to 0.8%, or even 0.4%, if we include lower excise taxes proposed by the government. Compared to February, consumer prices declined by 0.7%. Annual inf..

Economic recovery can only really start once we get the virus under control. There is a wide range of different avenues being explored in an attempt to fight the pandemic – developing a vaccine, finding the drugs, devising new antigen and antibody ..

Services dive 18 points Manufacturing drops only 2.3 points The longer lockdowns in Europe continue the harder it will be to bounce back The PMI flash estimate followed yesterdays’ European consumer confidence and dived hard. PMI survey result..

This is a good start and will reduce sovereign spreads, but is still not enough • ECB more flexible with capital key • In 2020 purchases might exceed I trillion € ECB tonight launched a massive addition to its current QE purchases underlining th..

In the final quarter of 2019, all three Baltic capitals saw somewhat different trends. In Tallinn, housing affordability fell as the average price of apartments accelerated and net wage growth weakened due to the previous year’s tax reform. Housing..

Consumer price growth remained moderate in February. Annual inflation was 2.3%, while monthly inflation was 0.1%. Price changes were defined by global obstacles. In February, food prices experienced sharp increase and were driving annual inflation ..

The increased current account surplus and the widening gap between savings and investments have contributed to the fall in interest rates in the euro area.The government sector has had the largest impact on the increased gap, as the austerity polic..

Read the full analysis/report here (pdf)Limited effects on growth and labour markets so far but with a continued and broadened spread of the virus the economic consequences will be large. GDP growth expected to be 0.4-0.8 percentage points lower in..

Wage growth remained relatively rapid and broad-based in the fourth quarter. Statistics Estonia’s wage data showed a slowdown in the annual growth rate of the full-time-equivalent average gross wage (+6.4%, over the year) in Q4 2019, mostly due to ..

Against the backdrop of softening global economy and high uncertainty, as well as sector specific factors, Latvian economic growth slowed considerably in 2019 – from 4.3% in 2018 to an estimated 2.2% last year. This was broadly in line with our for..

Last year's economic growth surprised on the upsideIn 2019, Estonian GDP growth was 4.3% y/y in real terms and 7.7% y/y in nominal terms. Although, the growth slowed from previous year, it was still strong and exceeded our expectations – our foreca..

Gross wages grew 8.8% last year Public sector wage growth was markedly stronger Women’s wages grow 1.5pp faster Lithuanian labour market seems unfazed by any global worries. Despite weak growth in EMU earnings growth in Lithuania maintained soli..

Both services and industry improve marginally in Euro areaGerman manufacturing improves sharply, but is still in contraction territory France activity improves as protests subside PMI flash estimate came out stronger than most expected given the g..

• Labour market indicators were very strong at the end of last year. • This year, we expect economic growth to slow and labour market to cool down a bit. Another employment record in the fourth quarter According to Statistics Estonia, in the fou..

In January, monthly headline inflation was 0.4%, and annual inflation rate was at 2.2%. Prices of goods grew by 2% on annual basis, and prices of services by 2.7%. The main drivers of annual inflation in January were transport, food, alcohol and to..

Annual employment (15-64 years) grew by 0.6 ppUnemployment rate increased by 0.2 pp to 6.4%78.4% of people, aged 15-64, were economically active in Q4, 2019 Solid economic expansion in 2019 fuelled the demand for labour – annual employment grew by ..

Euro area quarterly growth has been disappointing at barely 0.1%. It confirmed our forecast that EA economy expanded 1.2% in 2019 – the slowest pace since 2013. The data for the last quarter was mixed overall. France and Italy surprised on the down..

Inflation was relatively weak at the end of last year, given the rapid growth in wages and other income. Inflation was moderate due to weak external price pressures and lower excise tax rates on alcohol. In December, inflation amounted to just 1.8%..

Lithuanian GDP expanded 3.9% in 2019 A very strong final quarter. Economy grew 1.3% in quarterly terms (season and calendar adjusted) This year and decade growth will be slower Defying all expectations Lithuanian growth accelerated to 3.9% up fo..

Weak global trade and escalating trade tensions did not significantly affect Lithuanian exports, which grew by 7.3% during the first 10 months of 2019. Manufacturing, in general, and furniture, in particular, experiencing strong and consistent grow..

The construction sector will not contribute to economic growth this yearAfter three consecutive years of strong contribution to economic growth, the construction sector is not supporting economic growth this year.Labour shortages in construction ha..

Deal with Tory majority, referendum with Labour win, but hard to guess with Tory minorityOpinion polls suggest a Tory victory, but they should be taken with a grain of saltTactical votes - another complicating factor but probably few in number On ..

In Tallinn, the HAI plunged by 5.7 points in the third quarter of 2019, compared with the third quarter of 2018, and ended at 148.5, as net wage growth was slightly slower than an increase in apartment prices and interest rates. In Riga, the HAI lo..

In Latvia, annual inflation fell to 2.1% in November 2019, and was the lowest since April 2018. The average inflation this year (in 11 months) counted around 2.9%. In November, the growth of commodity prices continued to slow down (1.8%), whi..

Since 2018 repo rates started hovering above the target band It indicates pressures building up in the money markets due to the lack of excess reserves Shortage is exacerbated around quarter and year-ends when a lot of funds are moved around

The rather solid economic growth of 2.9% in Q3 2019 looks somewhat weaker when the data are corrected for the number of working days, resulting in a less optimistic 1.9% year-on-year figure. A key contributor, rather surprisingly, given the ..

Estonia’s GDP grew 4.1% y/y and 1.0% q/q (seasonally and calendar adjusted) in the third quarter this year. Non-adjusted annual growth was 4.2% in real terms and 7.3% in nominal terms. The growth was above our expectations. Economic growth is contr..

Annual growth revised up to 3.7% Household consumption growth is slowing moderately Agriculture bounced back as expected and grew by 11% Both annual and quarterly growth was revised upwards by 0.1pp. Domestic demand remained robust, however hous..

Wage growth remained rapid and broad-based in the third quarter. The average full-time-equivalent gross wage amounted to EUR 1,397, up by 8.2%, over the year. Tax Authority’s gross median wage amounted to EUR 1,100, up by 10% in a year. Wage grow..

Gross wage growth increased to 9.2% Public sector wages grew an impressive 12.2% Private sector annual wage growth recovered to 8% up form 6.3% in the second quarter Data for both economic growth and labour market have been more tepid than expec..

New record According to Statistics Estonia, in the 3rd quarter, the unemployment rate decreased even further to a record-low 3.9%. The estimated number of the employed reached 677,000, the highest number since at least the re-independence (earlier..

In October, the annual rate of inflation softened comparing to higher rates in previous months. The annual inflation rate in October was 2.3%, with goods’ prices rising only by 1.9%, and services’ prices rising by 3%. Annual inflation was driven by..

Labour market data has disappointed in the 3rd quarter of 2019. While unemployed stayed flat compared to previous quarter, it was 0.5 percentage point (pp) higher than a year ago. Weakness is observed across most labour market indicators. Number of..

According to the flash estimate, the quarterly real GDP growth slowed to 0.7% (seasonally and calendar adjusted) in the third quarter, which is still quite a decent growth. The annual growth accelerated from 1.8% in the second quarter to 2.8% (not ..

Lithuanian economy is holding up better than most expected given the bleak global outlook. While season and calendar adjusted quarterly growth was only 0.1%, annual growth inched down only slightly down to 3.6 % (unadjusted). Third quarter annual g..

Russia’s GDP growth is expected to remain modest for an emerging market… but its macro-fiscal buffers are strong.The policy mix prioritises stability over growth The list of factors that inhibit Russia’s actual and potential GDP growth is long: low..

In September, the annual rate of inflation slowed down to 2.6% that is the lowest value in 2019. The prices of goods’ were rising by 2.4% and contributed to annual inflation the most, but prices of services’ were rising by 3%. The main determinants..

• Inflation has remained relatively modest despite a rapid growth in wages. • Inflation is forecast at 2.4% this year and at 2.3% in 2020. Inflation slowed from 2.4% in August to 2.2% in September. Goods were 1.4% and services 3.5% more expensive..

In Tallinn, the HAI decreased by 4.6 points to 151.5 in the second quarter of 2019, compared with the second quarter of 2018, as net wage growth was slower than an increase in apartment prices and interest rates.In Riga, the HAI decreased by 4.7 po..

Lithuanians consume a lot more than Estonians and Latvians, despite higher wages in EstoniaDifferences in prices, remittances, saving rates, and, especially, unofficial income may explain this gap But material welfare may not be as good as it seem..

In Latvia, annual inflation reached 3.2% in August 2019. It was above the average of 2018, but ranks only as third in 2019, after April and May highs. The prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco were the fastest growing (5.6% higher than the last..

Demographics and productivity are the main drivers of interest rates in the upcoming decades Without an increase in potential GDP growth, interest rates will remain low and will have many unwelcome side-effects It’s more difficult to stimulate t..

Business sector digitalisation: opportunities and challengesEstonia has been in the forefront of e-Government solutions, but integration of innovative digital technologies in the business sector is still below the European Union average.Estonian ma..

Economic growth is still strong despite weakened foreign demandIn the second quarter of 2019, Estonian GDP growth slowed to 3.6% y/y in real terms and to 7.9% y/y in nominal terms. In the first half of this year, GDP growth was 4.2% in real terms. ..

Against most expectations, the Lithuanian economy bucked the trend in the first half of 2019 – GDP has increased by 4% (when season and calendar adjusted) and 4.1% (without the adjustments), compared to the same period a year ago. Meanwhile, in..

Wage growth is rapid and broad-based. The average gross wage amounted to EUR 1,419, up by 7.4%, over the year, in the second quarter. Wage growth was broad-based, in terms of sectors and levels. Tax Authority’s wage data show that the average gross..

Despite softening economic growth and the first signs of weakening in the labour market, wages are still increasing rapidly. The annual gross wage growth remained steady at 7.8% in the second quarter. Public sector wage growth has eased this year, ..

Despite slower economic growth, the unemployment rate fell to 6.4% in the second quarter. It was by 1.3 percentage points lower compared to the previous year. The number of unemployed declined by 18% largely driven by shrinking working age populati..

No significant changes in Q2 data According to Statistics Estonia, labour market remained tight but did not improve further in the 2nd quarter. The number of the employed and the number of the unemployed stayed at last year’s level. Employment’s ..

Unemployment has shrunk 0.4pp in the second quarter of 2019 but was 0.2pp higher than a year ago – the first annual increase in unemployment since 2010. However, the reasons for increase in unemployment is not a sign of distress or weakening in eco..

Annual inflation was 2.9% in July that is below its 7 months average in 2019. Inflation of both goods and services moderated to 2.9% and 2.8% respectively. Prices of services experienced the smallest annual increase in 2019. The main drivers of ann..

Due to the summer sales, monthly prices have decreased by 0.3% in July, whereas annual inflation remained steady for a sixth month in a row and stood at 2.4%. Prices of goods were 1.9% higher than a year ago, while prices of services grew by 4.5%. ..

Economic growth continued into the second quarter, however, the annual growth rate slowed. According to the flash estimate, the quarterly GDP growth rebounded to 0.8% (seasonally and calendar adjusted), while the annual growth slowed to 2.1% (not a..

Lithuanian economy remained resilient to the global challenges and continued growing at an accelerated pace. GDP has increased by 4% (when season and calendar adjusted) and 4.1% (without the adjustments) in the second quarter of this year, compa..

In June, the annual rate of inflation continues to slow down comparing to higher rate in April, but still is at 3% level. The annual inflation rate in June was 3%, with goods’ prices rising by 3.1%, and services’ prices rising by 2.9%. The annual r..

In June, inflation reached 2.4%, over the year. Goods were 1.8% and services 3.5% more expensive. Almost half of the increase in prices resulted from higher prices of food and housing. The prices of fresh vegetables have surged due to a drought las..

In Tallinn, the HAI stayed almost unchanged (-0.1 point) at 151.9 in the first quarter of 2019, compared with the first quarter of 2018, as net wage growth was slightly slower than an increase in apartment prices and interest rates.In Riga, the HAI..

Strong beginning of 2019 exceeded expectationsEconomic growth remained very strong at the beginning of 2019. In the first quarter of 2019, GDP growth in Estonia accelerated to 4.5% yoy in real terms and to 8.5% yoy in nominal terms. Strong first qu..

Even though Lithuania is an open economy, greatly dependent on imports and exports, country’s growth pace shows it is still reluctant to the global challenges, such as US-China trade war and German slowdown. GDP figures show that Lithuanian econ..

In the first quarter of 2019, the average full-time gross wage amounted to EUR 1341, up by 8.0%, in a year. The average gross wage increased in almost all sectors. Wage growth was more rapid in construction, where volumes have grown markedly in rec..

Wage dynamics of the last year continued in first quarter. Gross wage growth adjusted for tax reform eased by 0.3pp to 9.4%. In private sector wage growth cooled off by 1.1pp down to 7.4%. Meanwhile in public sector wage growth accelerated further ..

Prime Minister Modi’s ruling alliance is expected to win a thin majority India needs a bold economic reform agendaUntapped potential Indian PM Modi’s party is unlikely to repeat its success of the previous election of 2014, in which its coalition..

• The unemployment rate declined, and the employment rate slightly increased in the first quarter. • According to Swedbank’s forecast, labour market should remain tight this year, so wage pressures persist. Labour market remains tight Accordi

Lithuanian labour market continued its strong run in the first quarter of 2019, solid economic expansion fueled demand for labour. Unemployment rate declined to 6.5%, 0.7pp lower than a year ago. Meanwhile annual employment growth was 2%, well abov..

After two years of rapid growth, the economic expansion moderated at the beginning of 2019. In the first quarter, the annual GDP growth slowed to 2.8% (not seasonally and calendar adjusted) compared to 4.8% last year as a whole. The quarterly growt..

The year is up to a good start. Economy expanded 3.9% annually in this first quarter of 2019. Meanwhile, season and calendar adjusted quarterly growth stood at 1%. Growth was supported by very solid domestic demand and still robust external perfor..