Even Cushy IMF Feels Pinched

It's not easy to cry for International Monetary Fund staffers, whose benefits-laden, six-figure jobs are some of the richest in Washington. But tough times are upon the IMF. We hear that the institution is going through a bit of belt tightening. Like: trimming travel expenditures, doling out smaller raises (but still raises), attrition, and even job outsourcing.

And that's the good news. The IMF's annual budget comes from the money it makes off interest from international loans, and its lending has plummeted in recent years.

By Paul Bedard