01746cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF017549 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781475590906 1934-7685 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept. St. Lucia : 2017 Article IV Consultation-Press Release and Staff Report. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2017. 1 online resource (75 pages) IMF Staff Country Reports <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights St. Lucia's GDP growth, estimated to have reached 0.8 percent in 2016, down from 1.8 percent in 2015. Strong employment growth in agriculture and construction put a dent in unemployment, which declined to 20 percent in the third quarter of 2016. Youth unemployment also fell, but remains very high at 41 percent. GDP is projected to grow at 0.5 percent in 2017, driven mostly by continued strong performance in construction and agriculture. Higher import prices, including for oil, will cause inflation to rise temporarily and, together with weak tourism expenditures, will contribute to wider external imbalances. Mode of access: Internet IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2017/076 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2017/076/002.2017.issue-076-en.xml IMF e-Library