Macroeconomics and Public Finance

The work of the Research Group forms an important basis for the timely and scientifically sound support of economic policy decisions and is highly regarded by the public. The short-, medium- and long-term forecasts regularly produced by the Research Group combine the expertise of the entire WIFO and provide a forum for discourse on current economic policy issues.

The most important tasks of the Research Group include

• ongoing reporting on economic developments,
• the flash estimate of the Quarterly National Accounts,
• quarterly economic forecasts for Austria and the global economy,
• medium-term forecasts for Austria as a macroeconomic framework for the financial planning of public budgets,
• long-term scenarios for Austria as a basis for assessing the sustainability of social security systems.

In addition, the Research Group continuously produces empirical studies on important economic policy topics with a macroeconomic focus for Austrian and international commissioning bodies. This also includes analyses in the area of public finances, often with an European focus. Aspects of sustainable growth beyond gross domestic product as well as ecological transformation are also included as a cross-sectional perspective.

The Research Group has a high level of competence in the preparation, maintenance and presentation of economic data. The comprehensive data knowledge forms the basis for the development of a variety of models that are used for forecasting and impact analysis of economic policy measures.