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Filling the gap: open economy considerations for more reliable potential output estimates

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  • Zsolt Darvas

Abstract

This paper argues that the Phillips curve relationship is not sufficient to trace back the output gap, because the effect of excess demand is not symmetric across tradeable and non-tradeable sectors. In the non-tradeable sector, excess demand creates excess employment and inflation via the Phillips curve, while in the tradeable sector much of the excess demand is absorbed by the trade balance. We set up an unobserved-components model including both a Phillips curve and a current account equation to estimate ‘sustainable output’ for 45 countries. Our estimates for many countries differ substantially from the potential output estimates of the European Commission, IMF and OECD. We assemble a comprehensive real-time dataset to estimate our model on data which was available in each year from 2004-15. Our model was able to identify correctly the sign of pre-crisis output gaps using real time data for countries such as the United States, Spain and Ireland, in contrast to the estimates of the three institutions, which estimated negative output gaps real-time, while their current estimates for the pre-crisis period suggest positive gaps. In the past five years the annual output gap estimate revisions of our model, the European Commission, IMF, OECD and the Hodrick-Prescott filter were broadly similar in the range of 0.5-1.0 percent of GDP for advanced countries. Such large revisions are worrisome, because the European fiscal framework can translate the imprecision in output gap estimates into poorly grounded fiscal policymaking in the EU.

Suggested Citation

  • Zsolt Darvas, 2015. "Filling the gap: open economy considerations for more reliable potential output estimates," Working Papers 1501, Department of Mathematical Economics and Economic Analysis, Corvinus University of Budapest.
  • Handle: RePEc:mkg:wpaper:1501
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter D. Williams & Mr. Yasser Abdih & Emanuel Kopp, 2020. "Reading the Stars," IMF Working Papers 2020/136, International Monetary Fund.
    2. Zsolt Darvas, 2018. "Forecast errors and monetary policy normalisation in the euro area," Policy Contributions 28816, Bruegel.
    3. Roberta Santis & Piero Esposito & Elena Masi, 2019. "Structural determinants of potential output growth in Europe and the role of fiscal policy," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 565-591, October.
    4. Roberta De Santis & Piero Esposito & Elena Masi, 2017. "Are there common structural determinants of potential output growth in Europe? An empirical exercise for 11 EMU countries," Working Papers 4, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    5. Silvia Fabiani & Stefano Federico & Alberto Felettigh, 2016. "Adjusting the external adjustment: cyclical factors and the Italian current account," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 346, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    6. Pönkä, Harri & Sariola, Mikko, 2021. "Output gaps and cyclical indicators: Finnish evidence," BoF Economics Review 6/2021, Bank of Finland.
    7. Lorenzo Burlon & Paolo D'Imperio, 2019. "The euro-area output gap through the lens of a DSGE model," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 477, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    8. Burlon, Lorenzo & D’Imperio, Paolo, 2020. "Reliable real-time estimates of the euro-area output gap," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    9. Karsten Staehr, 2018. "Capital flows and growth dynamics in Central and Eastern Europe," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Marko Melolinna & Máté Tóth, 2019. "Output gaps, inflation and financial cycles in the UK," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1039-1070, March.
    11. Melolinna, Marko & Tóth, Máté, 2016. "Output gaps, inflation and financial cycles in the United Kingdom," Bank of England working papers 585, Bank of England.
    12. European Fiscal Board (EFB), 2019. "Assessment of EU fiscal rules with a focus on the six and two-pack legislation," Reports 2019, European Fiscal Board.
    13. Larch, Martin & Orseau, Eloïse & van der Wielen, Wouter, 2021. "Do EU fiscal rules support or hinder counter-cyclical fiscal policy?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    14. Josef Baumgartner & Serguei Kaniovski & Simon Loretz & Stefan Schiman, 2018. "Wachstum schwächt sich ab. Mittelfristige Prognose der österreichischen Wirtschaft bis 2023," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 91(10), pages 713-731, October.
    15. Carnazza, Giovanni, 2023. "Ex-post and real-time estimations of the output gap: A new assessment of fiscal procyclicality in the eurozone," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    16. Grégory Claeys & Zsolt Darvas & Alvaro Leandro, 2016. "A proposal to revive the European Fiscal Framework," Policy Contributions 13490, Bruegel.
    17. Jonas Dovern & Christopher Zuber, 2020. "Recessions and Potential Output: Disentangling Measurement Errors, Supply Shocks, and Hysteresis Effects," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(4), pages 1431-1466, October.
    18. European Fiscal Board (EFB), 2019. "2019 annual report of the European Fiscal Board," Annual reports 2019, European Fiscal Board.
    19. Eddie Casey, 2019. "Inside the "Upside Down": Estimating Ireland's Output Gap," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 50(1), pages 5-34.
    20. Michael O’Grady, 2019. "Estimating the Output, Inflation and Unemployment Gaps in Ireland using Bayesian Model Averaging," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 50(1), pages 35-76.
    21. Sariola, Mikko, 2019. "An unobserved components model for Finland – Estimates of potential output and NAWRU," BoF Economics Review 2/2019, Bank of Finland.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    equilibrium current account; international trade; Kalman-filter; open economy; Phillips-curve; potential output; real-time data; sustainable output; state-space models;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics

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