Finance

IMF not seeing evidence of wage-price spiral in Britain, Gourinchas says

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on April 14, 2026

1 min read

· Last updated: April 15, 2026

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IMF not seeing evidence of wage-price spiral in Britain, Gourinchas says
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WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is not seeing evidence of a wage-price spiral in Britain at the moment, and the Fund anticipates only a small increase in core

IMF Reports No Wage-Price Spiral in UK, Anticipates Modest Core Inflation

IMF Analysis of UK Inflation and Wage Dynamics

Current IMF Observations

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is not seeing evidence of a wage-price spiral in Britain at the moment, and the Fund anticipates only a small increase in core inflation due to war-driven energy price spikes, IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said on Tuesday.

Updated Core Inflation Forecast

Gourinchas said that core UK inflation is now forecast around 2.7% for 2026, up from 2.2% forecast in January, despite Britain's heavy dependence on gas imports.

Factors Moderating Wage Pressures

"The UK economy still has a negative output gap in our estimate, so there is quite a bit of slack, and that actually is moderating some of the wage pressures," Gourinchas told a news conference. "Now we'll have to see and watch how the increase in energy prices, especially when they get to consumers, whether that translates into a different dynamic."

Reporting Source

(Reporting by David Lawder)

Key Takeaways

  • No evidence of wage‑price spiral in Britain for now, due to negative output gap and economic slack citeturn0news9
  • Core UK inflation forecast raised to ~2.7% for 2026, up from previous 2.2%, driven by war‑related energy price shocks citeturn0news9
  • IMF also sharply downgraded Britain’s economic growth forecast for 2026—from 1.3% to 0.8%—citing inflationary pressures from the Iran conflict citeturn0news9

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the IMF seeing a wage-price spiral in Britain?
The IMF is not seeing evidence of a wage-price spiral in Britain at the moment.
How do energy prices affect UK inflation according to the IMF?
The IMF anticipates only a small increase in core inflation in Britain due to war-driven energy price spikes.
Why are wage pressures in the UK moderate?
Wage pressures are moderate because the UK economy still has a negative output gap, indicating slack.
Who is the IMF chief economist referenced in the article?
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas is the IMF chief economist cited in the article.

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