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Asymmetric Adjustment of Unemployment and Output in New Zealand: Rediscovering Okun's Law

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Author Info
Richard Harris () (University of Glasgow)
Brian Silverstone () (University of Waikato)

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Abstract

Okun's law - the relationship between unemployment and output - is one of the best known empirical regularities in macroeconomics. It is an important relationship because the way in which unemployment reacts to changes in output has implications for labour market and monetary policies and for forecasting. Most specifications of Okun's law assume a symmetric relationship: expansions and contractions in output have the same absolute effect on unemployment. In this paper, we test this assumption against the alternative view that the relationship is asymmetric. We use New Zealand data from 1978 to 1999 and contemporary econometric techniques including asymmetric modelling. Our main finding is that changes in unemployment and output in New Zealand are related in both the long run and the short run but only if an asymmetric approach is taken.

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File URL: ftp://mngt.waikato.ac.nz/RePEc/wai/econwp/0002.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Waikato, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers in Economics with number 00/02.

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Length: 23 pages
Date of creation: 01 May 2000
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Handle: RePEc:wai:econwp:00/02

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Related research
Keywords: Okun's law asymmetric modelling unemployment and output New Zealand

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models
E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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. Newey, Whitney K & West, Kenneth D, 1987. "A Simple, Positive Semi-definite, Heteroskedasticity and Autocorrelation Consistent Covariance Matrix," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(3), pages 703-08, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Speight, A E H & McMillan, D G, 1998. "Testing for Asymmetries in UK Macroeconomic Time Series," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 45(2), pages 158-70, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Kaufman, Roger T., 1988. "An international comparison of Okun's laws," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 182-203, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. James MacKinnon, 1990. "Critical Values for Cointegration Tests," University of California at San Diego, Economics Working Paper Series 90-4, Department of Economics, UC San Diego. [Downloadable!]
  5. Harvey, A C, 1985. "Trends and Cycles in Macroeconomic Time Series," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 3(3), pages 216-27, June.
  6. Prachowny, Martin F J, 1993. "Okun's Law: Theoretical Foundations and Revised Estimates," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 75(2), pages 331-36, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Palley, Thomas I, 1993. "Okun's Law and the Asymmetric and Changing Cyclical Behaviour of the USA Economy," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 144-62.
  8. Weber, Christian E, 1995. "Cyclical Output, Cyclical Unemployment, and Okun's Coefficient: A New Approach," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(4), pages 433-45, Oct.-Dec.. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Enders, Walter & Granger, Clive W J, 1998. "Unit-Root Tests and Asymmetric Adjustment with an Example Using the Term Structure of Interest Rates," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 16(3), pages 304-11, July.
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  10. Moosa, Imad A., 1997. "A Cross-Country Comparison of Okun's Coefficient," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 335-356, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Enders, Walter & Siklos, Pierre L, 2001. "Cointegration and Threshold Adjustment," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 19(2), pages 166-76, April.
  12. Sichel, Daniel E, 1993. "Business Cycle Asymmetry: A Deeper Look," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 31(2), pages 224-36, April.
  13. Perron, Pierre, 1988. "Trends and random walks in macroeconomic time series : Further evidence from a new approach," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 12(2-3), pages 297-332. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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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. Javier J. Pérez & Jesús Rodríguez López & Teresa Leal, 2002. "Pautas cíclicas de la economía andaluza en el período 1984-2001: un análisis comparado," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2002/18, Centro de Estudios Andaluces. [Downloadable!]
  2. Matti Virén, 2000. "Cross-country Evidence on a Nonlinear Okun Curve," VATT Discussion Papers 239, Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT). [Downloadable!]
  3. Javier J. Pérez & Jesús Rodríguez López & Carlos Usabiaga, 2002. "Análisis Dinámico de la Relación entre Ciclo Económico y Ciclo del Desempleo en Andalucía en Comparación con el Resto de España," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2002/07, Centro de Estudios Andaluces. [Downloadable!]
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