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Hysteresis in Unemployment: Evidence from OECD Estimates of the Natural Rate

Author

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  • Laurence M. Ball
  • Joern Onken

Abstract

This paper studies the dynamics of unemployment (u) and its natural rate (u*), with u* measured by real-time estimates for 29 countries from the OECD. We find strong evidence of hysteresis: an innovation in u causes u* to change in the same direction, and therefore has permanent effects. For our baseline specification, a one percentage point deviation of u from u* for one year has a long-run effect of 0.16 points on both variables. When we allow asymmetry, we find, perhaps surprisingly, that decreases in u have larger long-run effects than increases in u.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurence M. Ball & Joern Onken, 2021. "Hysteresis in Unemployment: Evidence from OECD Estimates of the Natural Rate," NBER Working Papers 29343, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29343
    Note: EFG ME
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    Cited by:

    1. Davide Romaniello, 2022. "Unemployment gap, isteresi e disoccupazione di lunga durata: quale ruolo nella comprensione dell'inflazione? (Unemployment gap, hysteresis and long-term unemployment: which role in explaining inflatio," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 75(299), pages 267-283.
    2. Gökten, Meryem & Heimberger, Philipp & Lichtenberger, Andreas, 2024. "How far from full employment? The European unemployment problem revisited," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Damiano Di Francesco & Omar Pietro Carnevale, 2025. "Are Hysteresis Effects Nonlinear?," LEM Papers Series 2025/32, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    4. Lorenzo Di Domenico & Santiago José Gahn & Davide Romaniello, 2024. "Testing the Waters of Positive Hysteresis: The Effects of Autonomous Demand Shocks on Inflation, Accumulation, and Labor in the US Economy," Centro Sraffa Working Papers CSWP64, Centro di Ricerche e Documentazione 'Piero Sraffa'.
    5. Bruna Santos & Leonardo Costa & Francisca Guedes de Oliveira, 2024. "The Euro Area 12: A Comparative Assessment of Its Member States in the Period 1998–2022," Economies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-22, April.
    6. Javier G. Gómez-Pineda & Julián Roa-Rozo, 2023. "A trend-cycle decomposition with hysteresis," Borradores de Economia 1230, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Paternesi Meloni, Walter & Romaniello, Davide & Stirati, Antonella, 2022. "Inflation and the NAIRU: assessing the role of long-term unemployment as a cause of hysteresis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    8. Roa Rozo, Julián, 2024. "Is there hysteresis in potential output estimates?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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