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Measuring the Natural Rate of Interest after COVID-19

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Abstract

We modify the Laubach-Williams and Holston-Laubach-Williams models of the natural rate of interest to account for time-varying volatility and a persistent COVID supply shock during the pandemic. Resulting estimates of the natural rate of interest in the United States, Canada, and the Euro Area at the end of 2022 are close to their respective levels estimated directly before the pandemic; that is, we do not find evidence that the era of historically low estimated natural rates of interest has ended. In contrast, estimates of the natural rate of output have declined relative to those projected before the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathryn Holston & Thomas Laubach & John C. Williams, 2023. "Measuring the Natural Rate of Interest after COVID-19," Staff Reports 1063, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:96351
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    3. Osoro, Jared & Talam, Camilla, 2025. "Monetary policy at the turn of financial markets: A forerunner or follower?," KBA Centre for Research on Financial Markets and Policy Working Paper Series 89, Kenya Bankers Association (KBA).
    4. Kamber, Güneş & Morley, James & Wong, Benjamin, 2025. "Trend-cycle decomposition in the presence of large shocks," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    5. Pál, Tibor & Storti, Giuseppe, 2025. "Estimating the R-Star in the US: A Score-Driven State-Space Model with Time-Varying Volatility Persistence," MPRA Paper 125338, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Chadha, J. S., 2023. "Mr Putin and the Chronicle of a Normalisation Foretold," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2354, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    7. Buncic, Daniel, 2024. "Econometric issues in the estimation of the natural rate of interest," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    8. Carlos Segura-Rodriguez & David Ching-Vindas, 2025. "Growt-at-risk in Costa Rica: an Open and Small Economy Perspective," Documentos de Trabajo 2501, Banco Central de Costa Rica.
    9. Tayler, William J. & Zilberman, Roy, 2024. "Unconventional policies in state-dependent liquidity traps," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    10. Júlio, Paulo & Maria, José R., 2024. "Trends and cycles during the COVID-19 pandemic period," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    11. Arden, Lucas & Hauptmeier, Sebastian & Kamps, Christophe, 2025. "Inflation-stabilizing monetary and fiscal policy rules at and away from the lower bound," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    12. Bofinger, Peter & Haas, Thomas, 2023. "R-Star: A new approach to estimate the polar star of monetary policy," CEPR Discussion Papers 18420, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Atanas Pekanov, 2025. "Europäische Wirtschaftspolitik 2024. Zwischen externen Schocks, strukturellen Problemen und der Notwendigkeit eines Produktivitätsschubs," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 98(3), pages 123-135, March.
    14. Marcin Bielecki & Michał Brzoza-Brzezina & Aneta Błażejowska & Kamila Kuziemska-Pawlak & Grzegorz Szafrański, 2024. "Estimates and Projections of the Natural Rate of Interest for Poland and the Euro Area," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 1-32.

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    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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