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Euro Area Imbalances: Measuring the Contribution of Expenditure Growth and Expenditure Switching

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  • Enno Schröder

    (Institute for New Economic Thinking, 300 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010; Department of Economics, New School for Social Research)

Abstract

The article introduces a decomposition of trade flows that allows to measure expenditure-growth effects (changes in domestic and foreign final demand) and expenditure-switching effects (changes in the allocation of demand across domestic and foreign producers). The decomposition is applied to 11 euro members 1990-2014. Most countries, including Germany, recorded unfavorable expenditure-switching effects (demand shifted from domestic to foreign producers); expenditure switching was most unfavorable in Finland, France, and Italy. There is no correlation between unit labor cost growth and expenditure switching.

Suggested Citation

  • Enno Schröder, 2016. "Euro Area Imbalances: Measuring the Contribution of Expenditure Growth and Expenditure Switching," Working Papers 1604, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:new:wpaper:1604
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    Cited by:

    1. Oliver Picek & Enno Schröder, 2017. "Euro area imbalances: How much could an expansion in the North help the South?," IMK Working Paper 180-2017, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    2. Oliver Picek & Enno Schröder, 2018. "Spillover effects of Germany's final demand on Southern Europe," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(8), pages 2216-2242, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Competitiveness; euro area; external adjustment; expenditure switching; macroeconomic imbalances;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • F45 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Macroeconomic Issues of Monetary Unions

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