Discussion Papers

IT Outsourcing in Finnish Business

This paper reviews the characteristics and magnitude of information technology (IT) outsourcing as well as studies its labor productivity effects with a representative sample of Finnish businesses. Depending on the IT task in question, on average from one-third to two-thirds of IT has been outsourced; of the ten categories considered, the development of non-Internet business-to-business

Ikääntyneiden varallisuus ja sen muuttaminen kulutukseksi

We study the extent to which retired households in Finland could supplement their mandatory pension benefits by releasing their equity. We also consider the tax treatment of different financial products that turn wealth into an income stream. In addition, we use a life cycle consumption-savings model to study which kind of households’ in Finland would

Large Corporations in the Finnish Economy

This paper is a part of larger research project on the role of the 30 largest firms in the Nordic countries. By examining the changes in the role of top 30 firms in the Finnish economy we aim to reveal some essential features of the structural transformation in the economy. From the national economy point

Suomen työeläkejärjestelmän stokastinen kestävyysanalyysi

This study analyzes the sustainability implications of demographic and investment risks in the Finnish private sector pension system (TyEL). The results show that current contribution rate is likely to be too low to finance the future higher expenditure. The main sustainability problem is not, however, the generally projected increase in the contribution rate, but the

Unemployment Insurance Savings Accounts: An Overview

Unemployment insurance and job protection regulations provide assistance to those who face unemployment. Unemployment insurance seems more desirable, since it does not harm flexibility in the labour markets, but it entails a moral hazard risk. Making the unemployment insurance voluntary and private would create more problems related mostly to the nature of the unemployment risk

Durable Goods and ICT: The Drivers of Euro Area Productivity growth?

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect of durable goods and ICT on Euro Area economic growth and productivity change; when expenditure on consumer durables is recorded as capital investment. The capitalization of consumer durables impacts both the levels and growth rates of the capital stock, productivity and GDP. Our growth accounting