{
  "title": "Okun's Law, Development, and Demographics: Differences in the Cyclical Sensitivities of Unemployment Across Economy and Worker Groups",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, November 12, 2021",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/index.md",
  "summary": "The negative and stable relationship between an economy’s aggregate demand conditions and overall unemployment is well-documented. We show that there is a large degree of heterogeneity in the cyclical sensitivities of unemployment across worker and economy groups.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview",
      "content": "- Authors: Zidong An, John C Bluedorn, Gabriele Ciminelli\n- Publication date: November 12, 2021\n- Series: Working Paper No. 2021/270\n- Pages: 22\n- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781616356040.001\n- Core statement: The negative and stable relationship between an economy’s aggregate demand conditions and overall unemployment is well-documented; this paper documents substantial heterogeneity in the cyclical sensitivities of unemployment across worker and economy groups."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key findings",
      "content": "- Aggregate economy group differences:\n  - Unemployment is more than twice as sensitive to aggregate demand in advanced economies as in emerging market and developing economies.\n- Demographic differences:\n  - Youth unemployment is twice as sensitive to aggregate demand as adult unemployment.\n  - In advanced economies, women’s unemployment is significantly less sensitive to aggregate demand than men’s unemployment.\n- Central conclusion:\n  - These findings point to the highly unequal impacts of the business cycle across worker and economy groups."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Subjects and keywords (as listed)",
      "content": "- Subject: Cyclical unemployment, Employment, Gender, Labor, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Women\n- Keywords: business cycles, cyclical sensitivities of unemployment, Cyclical unemployment, demographics, economy group, Employment, Labor force participation, Okun’s Law, unemployment, Unemployment, unemployment across economy, unemployment gap, Women, women's unemployment\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Working Paper\n  - Working Paper (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Working Paper (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Authors: Zidong An, John C Bluedorn, Gabriele Ciminelli",
    "Published: November 12, 2021",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781616356040.001",
    "Authors: Zidong An, John C Bluedorn, Gabriele Ciminelli",
    "Publication date: November 12, 2021",
    "Series: Working Paper No. 2021/270",
    "Pages: 22",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781616356040.001",
    "Core statement: The negative and stable relationship between an economy’s aggregate demand conditions and overall unemployment is well-documented; this paper documents substantial heterogeneity in the cyclical sensitivities of unemployment across worker and economy groups.",
    "Aggregate economy group differences:",
    "Demographic differences:",
    "Central conclusion:",
    "Subject: Cyclical unemployment, Employment, Gender, Labor, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Women",
    "Keywords: business cycles, cyclical sensitivities of unemployment, Cyclical unemployment, demographics, economy group, Employment, Labor force participation, Okun’s Law, unemployment, Unemployment, unemployment across economy, unemployment gap, Women, women's unemployment",
    "**Working Paper**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "Working Paper",
      "role": "paper",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/wp/2021/english/wpiea2021270-print-pdf.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2021/english/wpiea2021270-print-pdf.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2021/english/wpiea2021270-print-pdf.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2021/11/12/okun-s-law-development-and-demographics-differences-in-the-cyclical-sensitivities-of-506819/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-16T20:24:27.602Z"
}