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Forecasting with real-time macroeconomic data: The ragged-edge problem and revisions

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  • Bouwman, Kees E.
  • Jacobs, Jan P.A.M.

Abstract

Real-time macroeconomic data are typically incomplete for today and the immediate past (‘ragged edge’) and subject to revision. To enable more timely forecasts the recent missing data have to be imputed. The paper presents a state-space model that can deal with publication lags and data revisions. The framework is applied to the US leading index. We conclude that including even a simple model of data revisions improves the accuracy of the imputations and that the univariate imputation method in levels adopted by The Conference Board can be improved upon.

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  • Bouwman, Kees E. & Jacobs, Jan P.A.M., 2011. "Forecasting with real-time macroeconomic data: The ragged-edge problem and revisions," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 784-792.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jmacro:v:33:y:2011:i:4:p:784-792
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmacro.2011.04.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Abo-Zaid, Salem, 2014. "Revisions to US labor market data and the public’s perception of the economy," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 119-124.
    2. Oestmann Marco & Bennöhr Lars, 2015. "Determinants of house price dynamics. What can we learn from search engine data?," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 66(1), pages 99-127, April.
    3. Jan Jacobs & Jan-Egbert Sturm, 2007. "A real-time analysis of the Swiss trade account," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2006 167, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
    4. Allan W. Gregory & Hui Zhu, 2014. "Testing the value of lead information in forecasting monthly changes in employment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(7), pages 505-514, April.
    5. Valentina Raponi & Cecilia Frale, 2014. "Revisions in official data and forecasting," Statistical Methods & Applications, Springer;Società Italiana di Statistica, vol. 23(3), pages 451-472, August.
    6. Deicy J. Cristiano & Manuel D. Hernández & José David Pulido, 2012. "Pronósticos de corto plazo en tiempo real para la actividad económica colombiana," Borradores de Economia 724, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Ataman Ozyildirim & Brian Schaitkin & Victor Zarnowitz, 2010. "Business cycles in the euro area defined with coincident economic indicators and predicted with leading economic indicators," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1-2), pages 6-28.
    8. Golinelli, Roberto & Parigi, Giuseppe, 2014. "Tracking world trade and GDP in real time," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 847-862.
    9. Joao Tovar Jalles, 2015. "How Quickly is News Incorporated in Fiscal Forecasts?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 35(4), pages 2802-2812.
    10. Bhaghoe, Sailesh & Ooft, Gavin, 2021. "Nowcasting Quarterly GDP Growth in Suriname with Factor-MIDAS and Mixed-Frequency VAR Models," Studies in Applied Economics 176, The Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise.
    11. Costantini, Mauro & Kunst, Robert M., 2021. "On using predictive-ability tests in the selection of time-series prediction models: A Monte Carlo evaluation," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 445-460.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Data revisions; Publication lags; Data imputations; Leading index; State space models; Kalman filter;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

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