The OECD's macroeconomic work is based on continued monitoring of events in Member countries as well as outside the OECD area and includes regular projections of short and medium-term economic developments. International interactions between individual countries' policies and developments are of particular concern.

The OECD's macroeconomic policy analysis is grounded in the regular assessment of the short-term economic outlook, including projections of balances of payment aggregates established on an internationally consistent basis.

It is supported by the use of economic models, including INTERLINK, an international linkage model used to conduct policy simulations. Macroeconomic policy analysis considers both the appropriate orientations of fiscal and monetary policies over the medium and long-term and the pace of moving towards long-term targets.

Other areas of work include analysis of the workings of international monetary arrangements and exchange rate regimes; the economy-wide effects of fiscal variables such as tax systems and spending programs affecting health, education and income support; forces affecting saving, investment and real interest rates; and broader financial developments that impinge on overall economic performance.