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Estimates of the output gap in real time: how well have we been doing?

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Author Info
Michael Graff (Reserve Bank of New Zealand)

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Abstract

This paper addresses the real-time versus ex-post properties of the output gap as quantified by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's multivariate (MV) filter, starting with the second quarter of 1997, when the current procedure was implemented. There are three sources of revisions of the output gap: revisions of real GDP data, the end point problem of symmetric filters and changes to the calibration of the MV filter. The performance of the output gap with respect to signalling inflationary pressure, as measured by future non- tradables inflation, has been reasonably good, both in real time and ex post. However, during the recorded history of the MV filter, the revisions to real-time output gap have been no smaller than had a standard Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter been used. Moreover, the MV filter leads to permanently different levels of the output gap estimates if compared to a purely statistical trend. The MV filter is a hybrid construct. The empirical reference to indicators of inflationary pressure distances it from the original concept of the output gap, where a deviation of observed from potential output is taken as a cause of inflationary pressure. There is some indication that a major recalibration of the MV filter in 2002 helped to maintain the correlation with a target variable that it is supposed to "explain".

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File URL: http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/research/discusspapers/dp04_04.pdf
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Paper provided by Reserve Bank of New Zealand in its series Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series with number DP 2004/04.

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Length: 31 p
Date of creation: May 2004
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Handle: RePEc:nzb:nzbdps:2004/04

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation
E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Jean-Philippe Cayen & Simon van Norden, 2002. "La fiabilité des estimations de l'écart de production au Canada," Working Papers 02-10, Bank of Canada. [Downloadable!]
  2. James A. Kahn & Robert W. Rich, 2003. "Tracking the new economy: using growth theory to detect changes in trend productivity," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Athanasios Orphanides, 2003. "Historical monetary policy analysis and the Taylor rule," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2003-36, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. W A Razzak, 2002. "Monetary policy and forecasting inflation with and without the output gap," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series DP2002/03, Reserve Bank of New Zealand. [Downloadable!]
  5. Gerhard Ruenstler, 2002. "The information content of real-time output GAP estimates: an application to the Euro area," Working Paper Series 182, European Central Bank. [Downloadable!]
  6. James Twaddle & Florin Citu, 2003. "The output gap and its role in monetary policy decision-making," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, vol. 66, June. [Downloadable!]
  7. Athanasios Orphanides & Simon van Norden, 2002. "The Unreliability of Output-Gap Estimates in Real Time," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(4), pages 569-583, 07. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. A. J. Hagger & Nicolaas Groenewold, 2003. "Time to Ditch the Natural Rate?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 79(246), pages 324-335, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Tim Robinson & Andrew Stone & Marileze van Zyl, 2003. "The Real-time Forecasting Performance of Phillips Curves," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2003-12, Reserve Bank of Australia. [Downloadable!]
  11. Paul Conway & Ben Hunt, 1997. "Estimating potential output: a semi-structural approach," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series G97/9, Reserve Bank of New Zealand. [Downloadable!]
  12. Hirose, Yasuo & Kamada, Koichiro, 2003. "A New Technique for Simultaneous Estimation of Potential Output and the Phillips Curve," Monetary and Economic Studies, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, vol. 21(2), pages 93-112, August. [Downloadable!]
  13. Simon van Norden, 2002. "Filtering for Current Analysis," Working Papers 02-28, Bank of Canada. [Downloadable!]
  14. St-Amant, P. & van Norden, S., 1997. "Measurement of the Output Gap: A Discussion of Recent Research at the Bank of Canada," Technical Reports 79, Bank of Canada. [Downloadable!]
  15. Razzak, W., 1997. "The Hodrick-Prescott technique: A smoother versus a filter: An application to New Zealand GDP," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 163-168, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Jaromir Benes & Papa M'B. P. N'Diaye, 2004. "A Multivariate Filter for Measuring Potential Output and the NAIRU: Application to the Czech Republic," IMF Working Papers 04/45, International Monetary Fund.
  17. Athanasios Orphanides & Simon van Norden, 2003. "The Reliability of Inflation Forecasts Based on Output Gap Estimates in Real Time," CIRANO Working Papers 2003s-01, CIRANO. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  18. Kevin J. Lansing, 2002. "Can the Phillips curve help forecast inflation?," FRBSF Economic Letter, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Oct 4. [Downloadable!]
  19. David Gruen & Tim Robinson & Andrew Stone, 2002. "Output Gaps in Real Time: Are They Reliable Enough to Use for Monetary Policy?," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2002-06, Reserve Bank of Australia. [Downloadable!]
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Alfred V. Guender & Yu Xie, 2006. "Is There an Exchange Rate Channel in the Forward-Looking Phillips Curve? A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," Working Papers in Economics 06/16, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Michael Graff, 2005. "Internationale Konjunkturverbunde," KOF Working papers 05-108, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Michael Graff, 2006. "Ein multisektoraler Sammelindikator für die Schweizer Konjunktur," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 142(IV), pages 529–577, December. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Rodrigo Fuentes & Fabián Gredig & Mauricio Larraín, 2007. "Estimating the Output Gap for Chile," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 455, Central Bank of Chile. [Downloadable!]
  5. David Hargreaves & Hannah Kite & Bernard Hodgetts, 2006. "Modelling New Zealand inflation in a Phillips curve," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, vol. 69, September. [Downloadable!]
  6. L Christopher Plantier & Ozer Karagedikli, 2005. "Do so-called multivariate filters have better revision properties? An empirical analysis," Computing in Economics and Finance 2005 250, Society for Computational Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. Rodrigo Fuentes S. & Fabián Gredig U. & Mauricio Larraín E., 2008. "The output Gap in chile: Measurement and Evaluation," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 11(2), pages 7-30, August. [Downloadable!]
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