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Inflation, Human Capital and Tobin's q

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  • Basu, Parantap
  • Gillman, Max

    (Cardiff Business School)

  • Pearlman, Joseph

Abstract

A pervasive empirical finding for the US economy is that inflation is negatively correlated with the normalized market price of capital (Tobin's q) and growth. A dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model of endogenous growth is developed to explain these stylized facts. In this model, human capital is the principal driver of self-sustained growth. Long run comparative statics analysis suggests that inflation diverts scarce time resource to leisure which lowers human capital utilization. This impacts growth adversely and modulates capital adjustment cost downward resulting in a decline in Tobin's q. For the short run, a Tobin effect of inflation on growth weakens the negative association between inflation and q.

Suggested Citation

  • Basu, Parantap & Gillman, Max & Pearlman, Joseph, 2009. "Inflation, Human Capital and Tobin's q," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2009/16, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdf:wpaper:2009/16
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    3. Basu, Parantap & Bhattarai, Keshab, 2011. "Government bias in education, schooling attainment and growth," MPRA Paper 31791, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates

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