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Real exchange rates and skills

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  • Bodart, Vincent
  • Carpantier, Jean-François

Abstract

Recent developments in trade theory strongly emphasize that international trade requires an intensive use of skilled workers. Against this background, we explore in this paper whether labor skills are a key determinant of real exchange rates in the long run. Using panel regressions covering 22 countries over the period 1950–2010, we find that labor skills are indeed a structural determinant of real exchange rates, with a permanent increase of the skilled–unskilled labor ratio leading to a long-run appreciation of the real exchange rate. This finding is robust to the inclusion of several control variables, like those used in traditional analyses of real exchange rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Bodart, Vincent & Carpantier, Jean-François, 2016. "Real exchange rates and skills," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 305-319.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:67:y:2016:i:c:p:305-319
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2016.06.008
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    Cited by:

    1. Noel GASTON & YOSHIMI Taiyo, 2020. "Heterogenous Job Separations and the Balassa-Samuelson Effect," Discussion papers 20032, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Jean-François Carpantier, 2021. "Commodity Prices in Empirical Research," Dynamic Modeling and Econometrics in Economics and Finance, in: Gilles Dufrénot & Takashi Matsuki (ed.), Recent Econometric Techniques for Macroeconomic and Financial Data, pages 199-227, Springer.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    C23; F31; F41; I25; Real exchange rate; Factor endowments; Skills; Balassa–Samuelson effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development

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