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Re-evaluating Okun’s Law: Why all recessions and recoveries are “different”

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  • Gelfer, Sacha

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between GDP growth, the unemployment rate and employment growth. Using a structural DSGE model and a data-rich estimation approach I am able to estimate the coefficients and correlations between GDP growth and unemployment rate changes, GDP growth and overall employment growth as well as GDP growth and employment growth by sector. I find equivalent estimates when I compare the simulated model with realized data. I then evaluate the effect different types of economic shocks have on these correlations and I find that investment and finance shocks have larger effects on employment growth and the unemployment rate when compared to productivity and other supply-side shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Gelfer, Sacha, 2020. "Re-evaluating Okun’s Law: Why all recessions and recoveries are “different”," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:196:y:2020:i:c:s0165176520303050
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109497
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Matthew Cocci & Marco Del Negro & Stefano Eusepi & Marc Giannoni & Raiden B. Hasegawa & M. Henry Linder & Argia M. Sbordone & Andrea Tambalotti, 2013. "The FRBNY DSGE model," Staff Reports 647, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    2. Tito Boeri & Pietro Garibaldi & Espen R Moen, 2013. "Financial Shocks and Labor: Facts and Theories," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 61(4), pages 631-663, December.
    3. Marc P. Giannoni & Jean Boivin, 2005. "DSGE Models in a Data-Rich Environment," Computing in Economics and Finance 2005 431, Society for Computational Economics.
    4. Michael T. Owyang & Tatevik Sekhposyan, 2012. "Okun’s law over the business cycle: was the great recession all that different?," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, issue Sep, pages 399-418.
    5. Frank Smets & Rafael Wouters, 2007. "Shocks and Frictions in US Business Cycles: A Bayesian DSGE Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(3), pages 586-606, June.
    6. Sacha Gelfer, 2019. "Data-Rich DSGE Model Forecasts of the Great Recession and its Recovery," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 32, pages 18-41, April.
    7. Roberto Motto & Massimo Rostagno & Lawrence J. Christiano, 2010. "Financial Factors in Economic Fluctuations," 2010 Meeting Papers 141, Society for Economic Dynamics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mutascu, Mihai & Sokic, Alexandre, 2021. "Okun's law in the US: New insights in time and frequency," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 207-222.
    2. Chenini Moussa & Ayad Hicham & Attouchi Manel & Dahmani Mohamed Driouche, 2023. "Testing the Validity of Okun’s Law in Algeria: Is there a difference between Maki’s Cointegration and Quantile’s Regression Results?," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 23(1), pages 42-63, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Okun’s Law; DSGE-DFM; Financial recessions; Data-rich DSGE;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E17 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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