Living with Lower Productivity Growth: Impact on Exports
Filippo di Mauro, Bernardo Mottironi, Gianmarco Ottaviano, Alessandro Zona-Mattioli
IWH-CompNet Discussion Papers,
No. 1,
2018
Abstract
This paper investigates the impact of sustained lower productivity growth on exports, by looking at the role of the productivity distribution and allocative efficiency as drivers of export performance. It follows and goes beyond the work of Barba Navaretti et al. (2017), analysing the effects of productivity on exports depending on the dynamics of allocative efficiency. Low productivity growth is a well-documented stylised fact in Western countries – and possibly a reality likely to persist for some time. What could be the impact of persistent sluggish growth of productivity on exports? To shed light on this question, this paper examines the relationship between the productivity distribution of firms and sectoral export performance. The structure of firms within countries or even sectors matters tremendously for the nexus between productivity and exports at the macroeconomic level, as the theoretical and empirical literature documents. For instance, whether too few firms at the top (lack of innovation) or too many firms at the bottom (weak market selection) drives slow average productivity at the macro level has very different implications and therefore demands different policy responses.
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Information Feedback in Temporal Networks as a Predictor of Market Crashes
Stjepan Begušić, Zvonko Kostanjčar, Dejan Kovač, Boris Podobnik, H. Eugene Stanley
Complexity,
September
2018
Abstract
In complex systems, statistical dependencies between individual components are often considered one of the key mechanisms which drive the system dynamics observed on a macroscopic level. In this paper, we study cross-sectional time-lagged dependencies in financial markets, quantified by nonparametric measures from information theory, and estimate directed temporal dependency networks in financial markets. We examine the emergence of strongly connected feedback components in the estimated networks, and hypothesize that the existence of information feedback in financial networks induces strong spatiotemporal spillover effects and thus indicates systemic risk. We obtain empirical results by applying our methodology on stock market and real estate data, and demonstrate that the estimated networks exhibit strongly connected components around periods of high volatility in the markets. To further study this phenomenon, we construct a systemic risk indicator based on the proposed approach, and show that it can be used to predict future market distress. Results from both the stock market and real estate data suggest that our approach can be useful in obtaining early-warning signals for crashes in financial markets.
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Expectation Formation, Financial Frictions, and Forecasting Performance of Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Models
Oliver Holtemöller, Christoph Schult
Abstract
In this paper, we document the forecasting performance of estimated basic dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models and compare this to extended versions which consider alternative expectation formation assumptions and financial frictions. We also show how standard model features, such as price and wage rigidities, contribute to forecasting performance. It turns out that neither alternative expectation formation behaviour nor financial frictions can systematically increase the forecasting performance of basic DSGE models. Financial frictions improve forecasts only during periods of financial crises. However, traditional price and wage rigidities systematically help to increase the forecasting performance.
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06.09.2018 • 17/2018
The Cyclical upswing in Germany continues, in spite of foreign demand losing momentum
In autumn 2018, the global economy continues to expand quite strongly. Whereas the cyclical upswing in the USA has gained even more strength, the economy in the Euro area has weakened somewhat. To a lesser extent, this also applies to the German economy. “According to this forecast, the growth rate of German real gross domestic product will be 1.8% in 2018 and 1.7% in 2019. The East German economy will expand by 1.5% this year and by 1.4% in 2019”, says Oliver Holtemöller, head of the Department Macroeconomics and vice president at IWH.
Oliver Holtemöller
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Konjunktur aktuell: Aufschwung in Deutschland setzt sich trotz nachlassender Impulse aus dem Ausland fort
Konjunktur aktuell,
No. 3,
2018
Abstract
Im Herbst 2018 ist die Weltkonjunktur weiterhin recht kräftig. Allerdings haben die regionalen Differenzen seit Jahresbeginn zugenommen. Während der Aufschwung in den USA auch wegen des starken Impulses durch die dortige Steuerreform noch einmal an Kraft gewonnen hat, ist die Konjunktur im Euroraum etwas schwächer geworden. Der Welthandel hat seit Jahresbeginn kaum noch zugelegt. Eine Ursache dieser Stagnation ist die Verschlechterung der handelspolitischen Rahmenbedingungen. Die Handelskonflikte sind allerdings nur einer von mehreren Risikofaktoren für die deutsche Konjunktur. Hinzu kommen die Möglichkeit eines ungeordneten Austritts Großbritanniens aus der EU im Frühjahr 2019 sowie ein weiterer Verlust an Vertrauen der Finanzmärkte in die Solvenz des italienischen Staates, falls die Regierung Italiens ihre finanzpolitischen Vorhaben in großem Stil umsetzt. Die deutsche Wirtschaft ist seit fünf Jahren im Aufschwung. Wichtige Treiber sind die außerordentlich günstigen Finanzierungsbedingungen und eine starke Expansion der Beschäftigung. Zuletzt hat die Nachfrage aus dem Ausland allerdings an Schwung verloren. Dabei spielt auch die Verteuerung deutscher Produkte aufgrund der Aufwertung des Euro seit dem Frühjahr 2017 eine Rolle. Die in diesem Jahr und besonders im Jahr 2019 expansiv ausgerichtete Finanzpolitik verschafft der Konjunktur Rückenwind, aber hohe Kapazitätsauslastungen und Engpässe beim Beschäftigungsaufbau dürften eine weitere kräftige Expansion behindern. Das reale Bruttoinlandsprodukt liegt nach vorliegender Prognose im Jahr 2018 um 1,8% höher als im Vorjahr, im Jahr 2019 beträgt die Rate 1,7%. Die ostdeutsche Wirtschaft expandiert in diesem Jahr um 1,5% und im Jahr 2019 um 1,4%.
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Does it Payoff to Research Economics? A Tale of Citation, Knowledge and Economic Growth in Transition Countries
Dejan Kovač, Boris Podobnik, Nikol Scrbec
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications,
September
2018
Abstract
There are many economic theories that promote human capital as a key driver of a country’s economic growth, but it is challenging to test this theory empirically on a country level and causally interpret the coefficients due to several identification problems. We tried to answer this particular question by using a quasi-natural experiment that happened quarter century ago – the fall of communist block in Eastern Europe. We use a shock to a particular scientific field – economics, to test whether the future investment into that particular field resulted in increased welfare and economic growth. The economics paradigm that was governing all of the communist block ceased to exist. Human capital depreciated over night and all communist countries had to transit from planned economy to a market economy. In the following years countries had to adapt to market economy through additional investment in human capital and research. We find that countries which lack both of the two fourth mentioned components had 25 years later a relatively lower economic growth and wealth. Unlike economics, other fields such as physics and medicine did not go through the same process so we use them as a placebo effect for our study. We find that the relative ratio of citations between economics and physics in post-communist countries is increasing only 15 years after the “paradigm” shock which gives a suggestive evidence that timing of investment into particular scientific field matters the most.
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IWH-Flash-Indikator III. Quartal und IV. Quartal 2018
Katja Heinisch
IWH-Flash-Indikator,
No. 3,
2018
Abstract
Das Expansionstempo der deutschen Wirtschaft hat zuletzt wieder etwas zugenommen. Das Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP) stieg im zweiten Quartal 2018 um 0,5%. Der IWH-Flash-Indikator deutet jedoch darauf hin, dass das Expansionstempo in der zweiten Jahreshälfte 2018 schwächer ausfallen wird. Das Bruttoinlandsprodukt dürfte im dritten und vierten Quartal 2018 um 0,4% und 0,3% steigen.
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On DSGE Models
Lawrence J. Christiano, Martin S. Eichenbaum, Mathias Trabandt
Journal of Economic Perspectives,
No. 3,
2018
Abstract
The outcome of any important macroeconomic policy change is the net effect of forces operating on different parts of the economy. A central challenge facing policymakers is how to assess the relative strength of those forces. Economists have a range of tools that can be used to make such assessments. Dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models are the leading tool for making such assessments in an open and transparent manner. We review the state of mainstream DSGE models before the financial crisis and the Great Recession. We then describe how DSGE models are estimated and evaluated. We address the question of why DSGE modelers—like most other economists and policymakers—failed to predict the financial crisis and the Great Recession, and how DSGE modelers responded to the financial crisis and its aftermath. We discuss how current DSGE models are actually used by policymakers. We then provide a brief response to some criticisms of DSGE models, with special emphasis on criticism by Joseph Stiglitz, and offer some concluding remarks.
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Konjunktur aktuell: Deutscher Aufschwung schwächt sich ab
Konjunktur aktuell,
No. 2,
2018
Abstract
Die jüngste Zuspitzung des von der US-Regierung entfachten handelspolitischen Streits bedeutet ein erhebliches Risiko für Welthandel und internationale Konjunktur. Dennoch sind die weltwirtschaftlichen Aussichten weiter recht günstig. Insbesondere für die USA ist wegen der massiven finanzpolitischen Impulse mit kräftigen Zuwachsraten zu rechnen. Allerdings hat sich die Konjunktur im Euroraum seit Jahresanfang deutlich abgeschwächt, und seit Mai dürften Sorgen um den finanzpolitischen Kurs der neuen Regierung in Italien die wirtschaftlichen Erwartungen in Europa zusätzlich drücken.
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