Output hysteresis in the US: new evidence from a time-varying Verdoorn's law

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Clavijo-Cortes

PurposeThis study aims to contribute to the current and well-documented phenomenon of hysteresis in the US economy after the Great Financial Recession. Compelling reasons lead me to believe that Verdoorn's law can be used to explain this phenomenon by relating hysteresis to a fall in the size of returns to scale of the whole economy.Design/methodology/approachVerdoorn's law is estimated using a time-varying regression model that employs Bayesian methods to examine the evolution of the Verdoorn coefficient. The investigation uses a bivariate time-varying model to estimate long-run growth rates of output and productivity while controlling for potential endogeneity problems.FindingsThe study finds substantial variation in the Verdoorn coefficient across time as well as a significant fall of it in the onset of the Great Financial Recession, which confirms the presence of hysteresis in the US economy. Additionally, it also finds a fall in the size of productivity shocks, and in the long-run growth rates of output and productivity according to previous studies.Originality/valueThe empirical investigation uses, novel to the literature on Verdoorn's law to date, a bivariate time-varying regression model with stochastic volatility. It also employs quarterly productivity data for a considerably long period, which to my knowledge, has not been used by previous works. Most importantly, this approach contemplates positive hysteresis––typically neglected––which provides a less bleak panorama.

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanjot Singh ◽  
Manjit Singh

Purpose With the globalization and liberalization in terms of increasing financial flows across the countries, the policy makers around the world are not independent in the context of monetary and fiscal policy initiatives. In this regard, this paper aims to attempt to quantify and capture long run, short run as well as time-varying linkages among the two financial stress indices, namely, Kansas City Financial Stress Index (KCFSI) and Indian Financial Stress Index (IFSI) across the monthly period (2004 to 2014). Design/methodology/approach Owing to the non-existence of a standardized financial stress index with regards to the Indian financial system, the study has developed an index/stress indicator using principal component analysis. Furthermore, to comprehend the linkages, the study uses bivariate Johansen cointegration model, vector error correction model, impulse response functions (IRF), variance decomposition analysis (VDA), Toda-Yamamoto’s Granger causality test and, finally, bivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (BVGARCH) (1,1) model under constant conditional correlation (CCC) framework. Findings The results report a stochastic trend among the two indices wherein the US financial system acts as a source of a shock causing disequilibrium in the long run co-movement. About 40 per cent of the adjustments take place in one month and rest in the coming months. Both the IRF and VDA report a greater degree impact of the US financial stress on the Indian financial system. Moreover, there is a uni-directional short run causality running from the stress in the US financial system to the Indian financial stress. Furthermore, the co-movement between the US and Indian financial stress reached to its maximum significant level during the sub-prime crisis even confirmed by the Markov switching model results. Practical implications Overall, the results provide an insight to the financial market investors both domestic as well as international in their act of risk management. The financial stress prevailing in an economy further has an impact on different economic factors like foreign exchange rates, interest rates, yield curves, equity market returns and volatility. So, the empirical results support strong implications for the Indian policy makers as well as investors in the Indian financial markets. Originality/value The present study contributes to the literature in three senses. First, the study considers indices reflecting financial stress in the Indian as well as US financial system. Second, the study captures long run as well as short run linkages among the financial stress indices relating to a developed and an emerging market. Finally, the study uses CCC-BVGARCH (1,1) model to account for the time-varying co-movement among the financial stress indices. This helps in comprehending time-varying nature of the co-movement of the stress in the financial system prevalent in the respective markets.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 32-35
Author(s):  
Mark Thomas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze Lenovo’s successful acquisition of IBM’s PC division using Ghemawat’s (2001) CAGE framework. It was an acquisition that was so full of symbols that it is difficult to know where to begin. Lenovo’s purchase of IBM in 2005 was first seen as a sign of the rapid growth and expansion of the Chinese economy and its transformation away from the traditional manufacturing base to more high-tech areas. For doomsday merchants in the land of Uncle Sam, it foretold the end of the world domination of the US economy. Despite a considerable number of skeptics at the time, Lenovo was clearly up to the task. Such was the success of the acquisition that by 2015, Lenovo could claim to have grown into the world’s number 1 PC maker, number 3 smartphone manufacturer and number 3 in the production of tablet computers. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a case study. Findings Despite a considerable number of skeptics at the time, Lenovo was clearly up to the task. Such was the success of the acquisition that by 2015, Lenovo could claim to have grown into the world’s number 1 PC maker, number 3 smartphone manufacturer and number 3 in the production of tablet computers. Indeed, by 2014, the firm had enough confidence to add the IBM server business to its portfolio. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Irshad Younas ◽  
Mahvesh Khan ◽  
Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan

Purpose The purpose of the study is to explore the misconception that in developed countries, macroeconomic performance lead to sustainable firms or improves stakeholder well-being. The results may be the opposite or even worse. Design/methodology/approach This study examined this misconception using balanced panel data from 1,122 firms from different sectors of the US economy and data on macroeconomic performance from the World Bank. Findings The results of the one-step generalised method of moments indicate that most macroeconomic performance indicators had significant and negative impacts on firm sustainability and stakeholder well-being. Practical implications From a societal perspective, the results illustrate that the fruits of macroeconomic performance of the US economy do not reach stakeholders through firms’ sustainability. Thus, linking the economy’s macroeconomic performance with firm sustainability is vital for sustainably uplifting society and for stakeholder well-being. Originality/value From a policy perspective, this study reveals that the greater focus on macroeconomic performance in the USA over the past decades has resulted in lower firm sustainability because of the malfunctioning of social, economic, environmental and governance factors. This has negatively influenced stakeholder well-being in the country.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-595
Author(s):  
Konstantinos N. Konstantakis ◽  
Panayotis G. Michaelides ◽  
Theofanis Papageorgiou ◽  
Theodoros Daglis

PurposeThis research paper uses a novel methodological approach to investigate the spillover effects among the key sectors of the US economy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper links the US sectors via a node theoretic scheme based on a general equilibrium framework, whereas it estimates the general equilibrium equation as a Global Vector Autoregressive process, taking into consideration the potential existence of dominant units.FindingsBased on our findings, the dominant sector in the US economy, for the period 1992–2015, is the sector of information technology, finance and communications, a fact that gives credence to the view that the US economy is a service-driven economy. In addition, the US economy seems to benefit by the increased labour mobility across knowledge-intensive sectors, thus avoiding the ‘employment trap’ which in turn enabled the US economy to overcome the financial crisis of 2007.Originality/valueFirstly, the paper models by means of a network approach which is based on a general equilibrium framework, the linkages between the US sectors while treating the sector of information, technology, communications and finance as dominant, as dictated by its degree of centrality in the network structure. Secondly, the paper offers a robustness analysis regarding both the existence and the identification of dominant sectors (nodes) in the US economy. Thirdly, the paper studies a wide period, namely 1992–2015, fully capturing the recent global recession, while acknowledging the impact of the global crisis through the introduction of the relevant exogenous dummy variables; Lastly and most importantly, it is the first study to apply the GVAR approach in a network general equilibrium framework at the sectoral level.


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Baumeister ◽  
Gert Peersman

Using time-varying BVARs, we find a substantial decline in the short-run price elasticity of oil demand since the mid-1980s. This finding helps explain why an oil production shortfall of the same magnitude is associated with a stronger response of oil prices and more severe macroeconomic consequences over time, while a similar oil price increase is associated with smaller output effects. Oil supply shocks also account for a smaller fraction of real oil price variability in more recent periods, in contrast to oil demand shocks. The overall effects of oil supply disruptions on the US economy have, however, been modest. (JEL E31, E32, Q41, Q43)


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-582
Author(s):  
Mark Setterfield ◽  
Yun K Kim

Abstract We model US household debt accumulation during the neoliberal boom (1990–2007) as a response to emulation effects and the decline of the social wage, which has ‘privatised’ an increasing share of the costs of providing for services such as health and education. The debt dynamics of the US economy are then studied under alternative assumptions about the configuration of distributional variables, which is shown to differ across varieties of capitalism that have ‘neoliberalised’ to different degrees. A key result is that distributional change alone will not make contemporary US capitalism financially sustainable due, in part, to the paradoxical nature of inequality as a spur to household borrowing, and hence a source of both demand-formation and financial fragility. Achieving sustainability requires, instead, more wide-ranging reform.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arcade Ndoricimpa

PurposeThis study reexamines the sustainability of fiscal policy in Sweden.Design/methodology/approachTo test the sustainability of fiscal policy, two approaches are used; the methodology of Kejriwal and Perron (2010), testing for multiple structural changes in a cointegrated regression model and time-varying cointegration test of Bierens and Martins (2010), and Martins (2015).FindingsUsing the first approach of testing for multiple structural changes in a cointegrated regression model, the results indicate that government spending and revenue are cointegrated with two breaks. An estimation of a two-break long-run model shows that the slope coefficient increases from 0.678 to 0.892 from the first to the second regime, implying that fiscal deficits were weakly sustainable in the first two regimes, from 1800 to 1943, and from 1944 to 1974. Further, results from time-varying cointegration test indicate that cointegration between spending and revenue in Sweden is time-varying. Fiscal deficits were found to be unsustainable for the periods 1801–1811, 1831–1838, 1853–1860 , 1872–1882, 1897–1902, 1929–1940 and 1976–1982 and weakly sustainable over the rest of the study period.Research limitations/implicationsA number of implications arise from this study: (1) Accounting for breaks in cointegration analysis and in the estimation of the level relationship between spending and revenue is very important because ignoring breaks may lead to an overestimated slope coefficient and hence a bias on the magnitude of fiscal deficit sustainability. (2) In testing for cointegration between spending and revenue, assuming a constant cointegrating slope when it is actually time-varying can also be misleading because deficits can be sustainable for a period of time and unsustainable over another period.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is three-fold; first, the study uses a long series of annual data spanning over a period of two centuries, from 1800 to 2011. Second, because of the importance of structural change in economics, to examine the existence of a level relationship between spending and revenue, the study uses the methodology of Kejriwal and Perron (2010) to test for multiple structural changes in a cointegrated regression model, as well as time-varying cointegration of Bierens and Martins (2010) and Martins (2015).


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Lakshmi ◽  
S. Visalakshmi ◽  
Kavitha Shanmugam

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the intensity of transmission of shocks from USA to BRICS countries in the long-run and short-run deviations and swiftness of recovery during US subprime mortgage crisis. This analysis enables the authors to explore the evolving patterns of relationships between these markets and examine whether their co-movements altered either in response to international shocks that originated in advanced markets like USA or due to their domestic fluctuations. Design/methodology/approach – Employing data of daily stock market indices (open and close) of BRICS countries for the period January 2, 2001 to May 31, 2012, this paper examines the interactions and characteristics of price movements of BRICS with US market by applying co-integration tests, vector error correction model and Granger causality relationship. The daily stock market indices data are derived from respective stock exchange web sites. Findings – The results exhibit that both long-run co-integration relationships and short-run Granger causality relationships exist between the stock markets of US-BRICS. Furthermore, this nexus is amplified in the short-run during 2007-2009, when the subprime mortgage financial crisis in the USA cropped up. This finding lends support to the prominence of developed (US) market links in the proliferation of persistent co-movements of BRICS stock markets. Research limitations/implications – The findings imply an increasing degree of global market integration due to quick dissemination of global shocks originating from developed market like USA, and swift recovery which can be attributed to the increased resilience, consistent with the moderated level of domestically driven risk in the BRICS markets. In spite of their similarities, long-run and short-run interdependences with the US stock market exhibit differences among the BRICS. This can be attributed to the regional heterogeneity in long-run risk and return co-movements with the USA. Practical implications – Changes from the US index easily affect these stock markets in the short-run, which implies that the US index may act as a leading indicator for investing funds in BRICS markets. Originality/value – This study would enable the authors to understand whether BRICS economies actually remain resilient to adverse developments in USA and could serve as alternative investment destinations for global portfolio diversification.


Subject Exposure to US final demand. Significance The Commerce Department reported on March 7 that the US goods trade deficit widened to 69.7 billion dollars in January after a five-year high of 4% of GDP last year. The new administration has threatened to build a wall along the Mexican border, impose punitive tariffs on countries it runs a goods deficit with and label China a currency manipulator. Other countries also rely on US demand -- through goods and services trade, investment and remittances. Impacts In the unlikely event that Trump follows through on all his most extreme trade threats, the world could plunge into recession. Evidence does not support the new administration's view that free trade has damaged the US economy and the fortunes of its workforce. The WTO is reviewing several cases the previous US administration began against China -- extreme escalation could trigger US WTO withdrawal. Germany is the only G7 country that the United States runs both a goods and services trade deficit with, placing it in the firing line.


Subject Declining potential growth trends. Significance Although the euro-area is enjoying stronger growth this year, the rebound has been modest. Real GDP growth should average 1.5-1.7% in 2015, disappointing hopes for growth closer to 2.0%. This is adding to concern about the impact of persistent investment weakness, which curbs potential growth. Over 2010-14, the US economy grew by 2.2% on average, the same as during the five years preceding the financial crisis (2004-08), although both periods are mediocre compared to the long-run average of 3.0% for the 15 years prior to 2009. The euro-area's double-dip recession depressed its 2010-14 average growth to 0.7% compared with a rate of 2.2% for both 2004-08 and the 15 years prior to 2009. Impacts Chronic lack of job opportunities can lead to a permanent loss in productive capacity, damaging consumer confidence and spending. Policymakers will need to promote investment and job creation, lowering the cost of capital and reforming labour markets. These reforms could stir political instability by fuelling social resentment and political populism.


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