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Re-examining the Structural and the Persistence Approach to Unemployment

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Author Info
T. BERGER ()
G. EVERAERT ()

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Abstract

This paper examines the relative importance of the structural and the persistence approach to unemployment. We set out a standard imperfect competition model that decomposes observed unemployment into a structural and a persistent cyclical component. The natural rate of unemployment is treated as an unobserved variable that has observable effects on the measured unemployment rate, output and prices. The multivariate unobserved component model is estimated for the US and the euro area using Bayesian techniques and the Kalman filter. The results show that although cyclical shocks are very persistent, most of the increase in European unemployment is driven by structural factors. The degree of persistence is somewhat lower in the US but demand shocks seem to be more important in explaining variation of unemployment.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration in its series Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium with number 06/383.

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Length: 28 pages
Date of creation: May 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:rug:rugwps:06/383

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Related research
Keywords: natural rate of unemployment persistence unobserved components Kalman filter Bayesian analysis

Find related papers by JEL classification:
C11 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: General - - - Bayesian Analysis
C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models
E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomics: Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution
E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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