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Demographics and Monetary Policy Shocks

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  • Kimberly A. Berg
  • Chadwick C. Curtis
  • Steven Lugauer
  • Nelson C. Mark

Abstract

We decompose the response of aggregate consumption to monetary policy shocks into contributions by households at different stages of the life cycle. This decomposition finds that older households have a higher consumption response than younger households. Amongst older households, the consumption response is also increasing in income. This, along with data on age-related net wealth, presents evidence for a wealth effect playing a role in driving the response patterns. This mechanism is studied further in a partial-equilibrium life-cycle model of consumption, saving, and labor-supply decisions. The model qualitatively explains the empirical patterns. Understanding the heterogeneity in consumption responses across age groups is important for understanding the transmission of monetary policy, especially as the U.S. population grows older.

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  • Kimberly A. Berg & Chadwick C. Curtis & Steven Lugauer & Nelson C. Mark, 2019. "Demographics and Monetary Policy Shocks," NBER Working Papers 25970, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25970
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    Cited by:

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    2. Fadejeva, Ludmila & Kantur, Zeynep, 2023. "Wealth distribution and monetary policy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    3. Tomás Opazo, 2023. "The Heterogeneous Effect of Monetary Policy Shocks: Evidence for US Households," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 992, Central Bank of Chile.
    4. Kilci, Esra & Yilanci, Veli, 2022. "Impact of Monetary Aggregates on Consumer Behavior: A Study on the Policy Response of the Federal Reserve against COVID-19," Asian Journal of Applied Economics, Kasetsart University, Center for Applied Economics Research, vol. 29(1).
    5. Kopecky, Joseph, 2022. "The age for austerity? Population age structure and fiscal consolidation multipliers," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Fergus Cumming & Lisa Dettling, 2024. "Monetary Policy and Birth Rates: The Effect of Mortgage Rate Pass-Through on Fertility," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(1), pages 229-258.
    7. Giacomo Mangiante, 2022. "Demographic Trends and the Transmission of Monetary Policy," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'économie 22.04, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, Département d’économie.
    8. Ryszard Kowalski & Agnieszka Strzelecka & Agnieszka Wałęga & Grzegorz Wałęga, 2023. "Do Children Matter to the Household Debt Burden?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 1007-1022, December.
    9. Radke, Lucas & Wicknig, Florian, 2021. "Experience-Based Heterogeneity in Expectations and Monetary Policy," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242414, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. John V. Leahy & Aditi Thapar, 2019. "Demographic Effects on the Impact of Monetary Policy," NBER Working Papers 26324, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E0 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts

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