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Unemployment and growth

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  • Thomas Palley

Abstract

Post Keynesian (PK) growth models typically fail to model unemployment. That shows up in the absence of any equilibrium condition requiring the growth of employment equal effective labor supply growth. Consequently, the models can have an imploding or exploding unemployment rate. The underlying analytical problem is failure to resolve the Harrod (1939) knife edge problem. This paper shows how the knife-edge problem can be resolved via a Kaldor - Hicks technological progress function. The paper applies the concept to several different PK growth models. In the Harrod, super-multiplier, Cambridge, and neo-Kaleckian models the warranted rate rules the roost and natural rate forces have no impact on the equilibrium growth rate. However, in a modified neo-Kaleckian model with labor market distribution conflict both warranted rate and natural rate forces impact steady state growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Palley, 2018. "Unemployment and growth," FMM Working Paper 21-2018, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:imk:fmmpap:21-2018
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bhaduri, Amit & Marglin, Stephen, 1990. "Unemployment and the Real Wage: The Economic Basis for Contesting Political Ideologies," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 14(4), pages 375-393, December.
    2. Serrano, Franklin, 1995. "Long Period Effective Demand and the Sraffian Supermultiplier," Contributions to Political Economy, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 14(0), pages 67-90.
    3. Steven M Fazzari & Piero Ferri & Anna Maria Variato, 2020. "Demand-led growth and accommodating supply," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 44(3), pages 583-605.
    4. Thomas Palley, 1998. "Macroeconomics with Conflict and Income Distribution," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 329-342.
    5. Amitava Krishna Dutt, 2006. "Aggregate Demand, Aggregate Supply and Economic Growth," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 319-336.
    6. Franklin Serrano & Fabio Freitas, 2017. "The Sraffian supermultiplier as an alternative closure for heterodox growth theory," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 14(1), pages 70-91, April.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. PERUGINI, Cristiano, 2009. "Employment Intensity Of Growth In Italy. A Note Using Regional Data," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 9(1).
    2. Subhasankar Chattopadhyay, 2020. "Growth, income distribution and unemployment in a two‐sector economy," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(4), pages 715-733, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Growth; unemployment; Harrod Knife-edge; endogenous technical progress; Hicks; Kaldor;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • E12 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Keynes; Keynesian; Post-Keynesian; Modern Monetary Theory

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