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Evaluating microfoundations for aggregate price regidities: evidence from matched firm-level data on product prices and unit labor cost

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  • Carlsson, Mikael
  • Nordström Skans, Oskar

Abstract

Using data on product-level prices matched to the producing firm's unit labour cost, we reject the hypothesis of a full and immediate pass-through of marginal cost. Since we focus on idiosyncratic variation, this does not fit the predictions of the Mackowiak and Wiederholt (2009) version of the Rational Inattention Model. Neither do we find that firms react strongly to predictable marginal cost changes, as expected from the Mankiw and Reis (2002) Sticky Information Model. We find that, in line with Staggered Contracts models, firms consider both the current and future expected marginal cost when setting prices with a sum of coefficients not significantly different from unity. JEL Classification: D8, E3, L1

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  • Carlsson, Mikael & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2009. "Evaluating microfoundations for aggregate price regidities: evidence from matched firm-level data on product prices and unit labor cost," Working Paper Series 1083, European Central Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20091083
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    Keywords

    business cycles; information; micro data; price setting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure

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