How Informative Are Real Time Output Gap Estimates in Europe?

How Informative Are Real Time Output Gap Estimates in Europe? PDF Author: Mr.Alvar Kangur
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513515616
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Book Description
We study the properties of the IMF-WEO estimates of real-time output gaps for countries in the euro area as well as the determinants of their revisions over 1994-2017. The analysis shows that staff typically saw economies as operating below their potential. In real time, output gaps tend to have large and negative averages that are largely revised away in later vintages. Most of the mis-measurement in real time can be explained by the difficulty in predicting recessions and by overestimation of the economy’s potential capacity. We also find, in line with earlier literature, that real-time output gaps are not useful for predicting inflation. In addition, countries where slack (and potential growth) is overestimated to a larger extent primary fiscal balances tend to be lower and public debt ratios are higher and increase faster than projected. Previous research suggests that national authorities’ real-time output gaps suffer from a similar bias. To the extent these estimates play a role in calibrating fiscal policy, over-optimism about long-term growth could contribute to excessive deficits and debt buildup.

How Informative Are Real Time Output Gap Estimates in Europe?

How Informative Are Real Time Output Gap Estimates in Europe? PDF Author: Mr.Alvar Kangur
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513515616
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 42

Get Book Here

Book Description
We study the properties of the IMF-WEO estimates of real-time output gaps for countries in the euro area as well as the determinants of their revisions over 1994-2017. The analysis shows that staff typically saw economies as operating below their potential. In real time, output gaps tend to have large and negative averages that are largely revised away in later vintages. Most of the mis-measurement in real time can be explained by the difficulty in predicting recessions and by overestimation of the economy’s potential capacity. We also find, in line with earlier literature, that real-time output gaps are not useful for predicting inflation. In addition, countries where slack (and potential growth) is overestimated to a larger extent primary fiscal balances tend to be lower and public debt ratios are higher and increase faster than projected. Previous research suggests that national authorities’ real-time output gaps suffer from a similar bias. To the extent these estimates play a role in calibrating fiscal policy, over-optimism about long-term growth could contribute to excessive deficits and debt buildup.

The Reliability of Output Gap Estimates in Real Time

The Reliability of Output Gap Estimates in Real Time PDF Author: Athanasios Orphanides
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business cycles
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Book Description


A New Methodology for Estimating the Output Gap in the United States

A New Methodology for Estimating the Output Gap in the United States PDF Author: Ali Alichi
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513523465
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
The gap between potential and actual output—the output gap—is a key variable for policymaking. This paper adapts the methodology developed in Blagrave and others (2015) to estimate the path of output gap in the U.S. economy. The results show that the output gap has considerably shrunk since the Great Recession, but still remains negative. While the results are more robust than other existing methodologies, there is still significant uncertainty surrounding the estimates.

Measuring Output Gap: Is It Worth Your Time?

Measuring Output Gap: Is It Worth Your Time? PDF Author: Mr.Jiaqian Chen
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 151352786X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description
We apply a range of models to the U.K. data to obtain estimates of the output gap. A structural VAR with an appropriate identification strategy provides improved estimates of output gap with better real time properties and lower sensitivity to temporary shocks than the usual filtering techniques. It also produces smaller out-of-sample forecast errors for inflation. At the same time, however, our results suggest caution in basing policy decisions on output gap estimates.

Measurement of the Output Gap

Measurement of the Output Gap PDF Author: Pierre St.-Amant
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780662260196
Category : Banks and banking
Languages : en
Pages : 62

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Book Description
This paper discusses some methodologies for estimating potential output and the output gap that have recently been studied at the Bank of Canada. The assumptions and econometric techniques used by the different methodologies are discussed in turn, and applications to Canadian data are presented. The first group of methods considered are those that simply use some implicit or explicit assumptions about the dynamics of real output to identify the output gap, including the Hodrick and Prescott filter for identifying the cyclical component of output. The second group consists of approaches that combine their assumptions with information from assumed or structural relationships between the output gap and other economic variables. The third class of methods uses multivariate rather than univariate dynamic relationships, often in combination with structural relationships from economic theory, to estimate output gap as a particular transitory component of real output.

Output Gap Uncertainty and Real-Time Monetary Policy

Output Gap Uncertainty and Real-Time Monetary Policy PDF Author: Francesco Grigoli
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1498393454
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 35

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Book Description
Output gap estimates are subject to a wide range of uncertainty owing to data revisions and the difficulty in distinguishing between cycle and trend in real time. This is important given the central role in monetary policy of assessments of economic activity relative to capacity. We show that country desks tend to overestimate economic slack, especially during recessions, and that uncertainty in initial output gap estimates persists several years. Only a small share of output gap revisions is predictable ex ante based on characteristics like output dynamics, data quality, and policy frameworks. We also show that for a group of Latin American inflation targeters the prescriptions from typical monetary policy rules are subject to large changes due to output gap revisions. These revisions explain a sizable proportion of the deviation of inflation from target, suggesting this information is not accounted for in real-time policy decisions.

Efficient Estimation of Forecast Uncertainty Based on Recent Forecast Errors

Efficient Estimation of Forecast Uncertainty Based on Recent Forecast Errors PDF Author: Malte Knüppel
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783865585653
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


A Simple Multivariate Filter for Estimating Potential Output

A Simple Multivariate Filter for Estimating Potential Output PDF Author: Patrick Blagrave
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1475565135
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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Book Description
Estimates of potential output are an important ingredient of structured forecasting and policy analysis. Using information on consensus forecasts, this paper extends the multivariate filter developed by Benes and others (2010). Although the estimates in real time are more robust relative to those of naïve statistical filters, there is still significant uncertainty surrounding the estimates. The paper presents estimates for 16 countries and provides an example of how the filtered estimates at the end of the sample period can be improved with additional information.

Innocent Bystanders? Monetary Policy and Inequality in the U.S.

Innocent Bystanders? Monetary Policy and Inequality in the U.S. PDF Author: Mr.Olivier Coibion
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1475505493
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 57

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Book Description
We study the effects and historical contribution of monetary policy shocks to consumption and income inequality in the United States since 1980. Contractionary monetary policy actions systematically increase inequality in labor earnings, total income, consumption and total expenditures. Furthermore, monetary shocks can account for a significant component of the historical cyclical variation in income and consumption inequality. Using detailed micro-level data on income and consumption, we document the different channels via which monetary policy shocks affect inequality, as well as how these channels depend on the nature of the change in monetary policy.

The Negative Mean Output Gap

The Negative Mean Output Gap PDF Author: Mr.Shekhar Aiyar
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513511742
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description
We argue that in an economy with downward nominal wage rigidity, the output gap is negative on average. Because it is more difficult to cut wages than to increase them, firms reduce employment more during downturns than they increase employment during expansions. This is demonstrated in a simple New Keynesian model with asymmetric wage adjustment costs. Using the model's output gap as a benchmark, we further show that common output gap estimation methods exhibit a systematic bias because they assume a zero mean. The bias is especially large in deep recessions when potential output tends to be most severely underestimated.