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Current Account Imbalances and Cost Competitiveness: The Role of the Euro

Author

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  • Pilar Beneito

    (Department of Economic Analysis, University of Valencia, Avda. dels Tarongers s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain).)

  • Carlos Chafer

    (Department of Economic Structure, University of Valencia, Avda. dels Tarongers s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain).)

Abstract

The changing environment that the Euro has brought to its member countries could have fuelled the deteriorating effect that net capital in ows have on cost competitiveness. This paper uses a di erence-in-di erences (DID) approach to assess the e ect of the Euro on the relationship between net capital infl ows, as measured by current account imbalances, and cost competitiveness over the period 1980-2014. The sample consists of annual data for 26 developed economies and comprises the EA12 countries as well as non-Euro countries, which are used as the comparison group in the analysis. First, we find evidence that positive capital in ows may negatively impact cost competitiveness levels in recipient countries. Second, and this is the main contribution of our paper, we find that the Euro seems to have amplified the deteriorating effect of net capital in ows on cost competitiveness. Therefore, although the policy debate is focused on constraining unit labour cost growth through structural reforms, additional macroprudential policies should be implemented to mitigate the detrimental e ect that capital in ows may have in an economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Pilar Beneito & Carlos Chafer, 2017. "Current Account Imbalances and Cost Competitiveness: The Role of the Euro," Working Papers 1703, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    • Handle: RePEc:eec:wpaper:1703
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    Cited by:

    1. Pilar Beneito & Carlos Cháfer, 2020. "Capital Inflows and Costs: The Role of the Euro," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 31(5), pages 977-1008, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    current account imbalances; cost competitiveness; EMU; diff-in-differences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F45 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Macroeconomic Issues of Monetary Unions
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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