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Accounting Spanish business cycles: What can be learned from past recessions?

Author

Listed:
  • Jesús Rodríguez López

    (Department of Economics, Universidad Pablo de Olavide)

  • Mario Solís-García

    (Macalester College, St. Paul, USA)

Abstract

We apply the business cycle methodology proposed by Chari, Kehoe, and McGrattan (2007) to identify the sources of Spanish business fluctuations during two outstanding cyclical episodes: the recession alongside the inception of democracy on 1977, and the recession of 2008. We find that the labor wedge is the key element behind these fluctuations, and that both taxes and labor market institutions are likely behind the wedge movements. Our conclusion suggests that any model that tries to understand the causes of the recessions occurred in the last three decades should focus on the labor wedge. This conclusion holds regardless the framework assumes a closed economy or an open economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesús Rodríguez López & Mario Solís-García, 2012. "Accounting Spanish business cycles: What can be learned from past recessions?," Working Papers 12.05, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pab:wpaper:12.05
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Juan C. Conesa & Timothy J. Kehoe, 2017. "Productivity, taxes, and hours worked in Spain: 1970–2015," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 8(3), pages 201-223, August.
    2. Ruy Lama, 2011. "Accounting for Output Drops in Latin America," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 14(2), pages 295-316, April.
    3. V. V. Chari & Patrick J. Kehoe & Ellen R. McGrattan, 2007. "Business Cycle Accounting," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(3), pages 781-836, May.
    4. Labhard, Vincent & Wyplosz, Charles, 1996. "The New EMS: Narrow Bands inside Deep Bands," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(2), pages 143-146, May.
    5. V. V. Chari & Patrick J. Kehoe & Ellen R. McGrattan, 2006. "Appendices: Business cycle accounting," Staff Report 362, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    6. Kobayashi, Keiichiro & Inaba, Masaru, 2006. "Business cycle accounting for the Japanese economy," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 418-440, December.
    7. William Nickell, 2006. "The CEP-OECD Institutions Data Set (1960-2004)," CEP Discussion Papers dp0759, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    8. Timothy J. Kehoe & Edward C. Prescott, 2002. "Great Depressions of the Twentieth Century," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 5(1), pages 1-18, January.
    9. Nickell, William, 2006. "The CEP-OECD institutions data set (1960-2004)," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 19789, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Timothy J. Kehoe & Edward C. Prescott, 2007. "Great depressions of the twentieth century," Monograph, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, number 2007gdott.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business cycle accounting; efficiency wedge; labor wedge; investment wedge;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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