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Capital Accumulation and Unemployment: A Tale of Two “Continents”

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  • Jim Malley
  • Thomas Moutos

Abstract

In contrast to much recent work regarding the causes of European unemployment, in this paper we emphasize the importance of capital accumulation. But unlike the few previous studies which have examined the relationship between capital accumulation and unemployment, we argue that what matters for the evolution of employment (and the unemployment rate) is not the absolute growth rate of a country's capital stock, but its evolution relative to other countries' capital stock. The empirical validity of the above statement is demonstrated for almost all OECD countries using quarterly time‐series data for the period 1961–1995. More detailed evidence is also presented for Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

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  • Jim Malley & Thomas Moutos, 2001. "Capital Accumulation and Unemployment: A Tale of Two “Continents”," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 103(1), pages 79-99, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:103:y:2001:i:1:p:79-99
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-9442.00231
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    Cited by:

    1. Marika Karanassou & Hector Sala & Dennis J. Snower, 2010. "Phillips Curves And Unemployment Dynamics: A Critique And A Holistic Perspective," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-51, February.
    2. Marika Karanassou & Hector Sala, 2010. "Labour Market Dynamics in Australia: What Drives Unemployment?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 86(273), pages 185-209, June.
    3. Malley Jim & Molana Hassan, 2007. "The Relationship between Output and Unemployment with Efficiency Wages," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 8(4), pages 561-577, December.
    4. Roberto Bande & Dolores Riveiro, 2012. "The Consumption-Investment-Unemployment Relationship in Spain: An Analysis with Regional Data," Documentos de trabajo - IRENe 0003, IDEGA - Instituto Universitario de Estudios e Desenvolvemento de Galicia.
    5. Roberto Bande-Ramudo & Manuel Fernandez-Grela & Dolores Riveiro-Garcia, 2014. "Consumption, investment and unemployment: SVAR tests of the effects of changes in the consumption-saving pattern," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 1-7, December.
    6. Roberto Bande & Marika Karanassou, 2014. "Spanish Regional Unemployment Revisited: The Role of Capital Accumulation," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(11), pages 1863-1883, November.
    7. Marika Karanassou & Hector Sala & Pablo F. Salvador, 2008. "Capital accumulation and unemployment: new insights on the Nordic experience," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(6), pages 977-1001, November.
    8. Philip Arestis & Michelle Baddeley & Malcolm Sawyer, 2007. "The Relationship Between Capital Stock, Unemployment And Wages In Nine Emu Countries," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 125-148, April.
    9. Mbekeni Lutho & Phiri Andrew, 2020. "South African Unemployment in the Post-Financial Crisis Era: What are the Determinants?," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 20(2), pages 230-248, December.
    10. Chella, Namapsa & Phiri, Andrew, 2017. "Long-run cointegration between foreign direct investment, direct investment and unemployment in South Africa," MPRA Paper 82371, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Hall, Stephen & Nixon, James, 2000. "Unemployment and the capital stock: a dynamic structural model of the UK supply side," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 415-437, August.
    12. Roberto Bande Ramudo & Manuel Fernández Grela & Mª Dolores Riveiro García, 2011. "Consumption, Saving, Investment, and Unemployment. SVAR Tests of the Effects of Changes in the Consumption-Saving Pattern," Documentos de trabajo - Analise Economica 0045, IDEGA - Instituto Universitario de Estudios e Desenvolvemento de Galicia.
    13. Yıldırım Mustafa Ozan & Yıldırım Ahmet Eren, 2017. "The Influence of Consumption and Investment on Unemployment in Turkey: A Svar Approach," Ekonomika (Economics), Sciendo, vol. 96(1), pages 74-92, January.
    14. Jim Malley & Hassan Molana, 2000. "Monopolistic Competition, Efficiency Wages and Perverse Effects of Demand Shock," Working Papers 2000_20, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow, revised Feb 2001.
    15. Jim Malley & Hassan Molana, 2002. "Efficiency Wages, Unemployment and Macroeconomic Policy," Dundee Discussion Papers in Economics 126, Economic Studies, University of Dundee.
    16. Marika Karanassou & Hector Sala & Dennis J. Snower, 2010. "Phillips Curves And Unemployment Dynamics: A Critique And A Holistic Perspective," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-51, February.
    17. Ron Smith & Gylfi Zoega, 2005. "Unemployment, Investment and Global Expected Returns: A Panel FAVAR Approach," Birkbeck Working Papers in Economics and Finance 0524, Birkbeck, Department of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics.
    18. Jim Malley & Hassan Molana, 2007. "The Relationship between Output and Unemployment with Efficiency Wages," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 8(4), pages 561-577, November.
    19. Roberto Bande & Marika Karanassou, 2014. "Spanish Regional Unemployment Revisited: The Role of Capital Accumulation," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(11), pages 1863-1883, November.
    20. Liu, De-chih, 2021. "The Unemployment Invariance Hypothesis: Does the Gender Matter?," Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 62(2), pages 178-199, December.

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