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The macroeconomic impact of asymmetric uncertainty shocks

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  • Müller, Henrik
  • Blagov, Boris
  • Schmidt, Torsten
  • Rieger, Jonas
  • Jentsch, Carsten

Abstract

Political shocks impact the economy in different ways, depending of their nature. To capture these effects effectively, we present the Uncertainty Perception Indicator (UPI) based on German newspaper content. This approach combines the time-inherent stability of simple counts of articles with the thematic openness and flexibility of topic models. Using the dynamic RollingLDA technique facilitates the close-to-real-time identification of both the magnitude of an uncertainty shock and its specific characteristics. Hence, the UPI could prove highly useful for economic forecasters and policymakers, since it renders possible more timely and targeted policy reactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Müller, Henrik & Blagov, Boris & Schmidt, Torsten & Rieger, Jonas & Jentsch, Carsten, 2025. "The macroeconomic impact of asymmetric uncertainty shocks," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecas:v:31:y:2025:i:c:s1703494925000106
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeca.2025.e00410
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