Unemployment and Productivity in the Long Run: the Role of Macroeconomic Volatility

Author/Editor:

Paolo Surico ; Luca A Ricci ; Pierpaolo Benigno

Publication Date:

November 1, 2010

Electronic Access:

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Summary:

We propose a theory of low-frequency movements in unemployment based on asymmetric real wage rigidities. The theory generates two main predictions: long-run unemployment increases with (i) a fall in long-run productivity growth and (ii) a rise in the variance of productivity growth. Evidence based on U.S. time series and on an international panel strongly supports these predictions. The empirical specifications featuring the variance of productivity growth can account for two U.S. episodes which a linear model based only on long-run productivity growth cannot fully explain. These are the decline in long-run unemployment over the 1980s and its rise during the late 2000s.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2010/259

Subject:

Productivity Real wages Unemployment Unemployment rate Wage rigidity

Frequency:

Quarterly

English

Publication Date:

November 1, 2010

ISBN/ISSN:

9781455209590/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA2010259

Pages:

49

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