Overall, structural fiscal balances were little changed between 1994 and 2004, with a mixed picture across countries. The revised Jobs Strategy reiterated the basic recommendations of the original strategy as regards macroeconomic policy, i.e. that it should aim at price stability and sound public finances so as to keep interest rates low and encourage investment and labour productivity, with potential beneficial effects on employment. Macroeconomic policy is also to be used to help stabilise the economy in order to reduce the risk that transitory increases in unemployment due to adverse shocks become persistent and to ensure that the benefits of structural reforms are brought forward.