16.03.2016 • 10/2016
German Economy Stays Stable Despite Shaky Environment
The German economy had a good start into the year 2016, in spite of heightened risks for the world economy and political turmoil in Europe. Employment and incomes are expanding, as is internal de-mand, additionally supported by government spending related to the high number of newly arrived refugees. However, sliding sentiment indicates a temporary slow down of the economy during this spring. We assume that the present political tensions inside the European Union can be mitigated in the coming months and that confidence will rise again. All in all, gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to rise by 1.5% in 2016.
Oliver Holtemöller
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Deutsche Konjunktur stabil – Wachstumspotenziale heben
Externe Monographien,
2015
Abstract
Die deutsche Wirtschaft befindet sich in einem verhaltenen Aufschwung; das Bruttoinlandsprodukt wird in diesem und im kommenden Jahr um jeweils 1,8 Prozent steigen. Getragen wird die Expansion vom privaten Konsum. Die Investitionen beleben sich allmählich. Angesichts der mäßigen Expansion der Weltwirtschaft dürften die Exporte hingegen nur leicht steigen, zumal die belebende Wirkung der Euro-Abwertung allmählich nachlässt. Die Beschäftigung wird wieder rascher ausgeweitet. Dennoch dürfte die Arbeitslosigkeit im Verlauf des kommenden Jahres leicht steigen, weil die derzeit große Zahl von Asylsuchenden nach und nach am Arbeitsmarkt ankommt. Für die öffentlichen Haushalte in Deutschland zeichnet sich für das kommende Jahr ein Überschuss von 13 Milliarden Euro ab. Dieser dürfte damit deutlich geringer sein als der für 2015 erwartete Überschuss in Höhe von rund 23 Milliarden Euro – nicht zuletzt aufgrund zusätzlicher Ausgaben für die Bewältigung der Flüchtlingsmigration.
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Forecast Dispersion, Dissenting Votes, and Monetary Policy Preferences of FOMC Members: The Role of Individual Career Characteristics and Political Aspects
Stefan Eichler, Tom Lähner
Public Choice,
No. 3,
2014
Abstract
Using data from 1992 to 2001, we study the impact of members’ economic forecasts on the probability of casting dissenting votes in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Employing standard ordered probit techniques, we find that higher individual inflation and real GDP growth forecasts (relative to the committee’s median) significantly increase the probability of dissenting in favor of tighter monetary policy, whereas higher individual unemployment rate forecasts significantly decrease it. Using interaction models, we find that FOMC members with longer careers in government, industry, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or on the staff of the Board of Governors are more focused on output stabilization, while FOMC members with longer careers in the financial sector or on the staffs of regional Federal Reserve Banks are more focused on inflation stabilization. We also find evidence that politics matters, with Republican appointees being much more focused on inflation stabilization than Democratic appointees. Moreover, during the entire Clinton administration ‘natural’ monetary policy preferences of Bank presidents and Board members for inflation and output stabilization were more pronounced than under periods covering the administrations of both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, respectively.
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Does Central Bank Staff Beat Private Forecasters?
Makram El-Shagi, Sebastian Giesen, A. Jung
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 5,
2012
Abstract
In the tradition of Romer and Romer (2000), this paper compares staff forecasts of the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) for inflation and output with corresponding private forecasts. Standard tests show that the Fed and less so the ECB have a considerable information advantage about inflation and output. Using novel tests for conditional predictive ability and forecast stability for the US, we identify the driving forces of the narrowing of the information advantage of Greenbook forecasts coinciding with the Great Moderation.
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The Performance of Short-term Forecasts of the German Economy before and during the 2008/2009 Recession
Katja Drechsel, Rolf Scheufele
International Journal of Forecasting,
No. 2,
2012
Abstract
The paper analyzes the forecasting performance of leading indicators for industrial production in Germany. We focus on single and pooled leading indicator models both before and during the financial crisis. Pairwise and joint significant tests are used to evaluate single indicator models as well as forecast combination methods. In addition, we investigate the stability of forecasting models during the most recent financial crisis.
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Should We Trust in Leading Indicators? Evidence from the Recent Recession
Katja Drechsel, Rolf Scheufele
Abstract
The paper analyzes leading indicators for GDP and industrial production in Germany. We focus on the performance of single and pooled leading indicators during the pre-crisis and crisis period using various weighting schemes. Pairwise and joint significant tests are used to evaluate single indicator as well as forecast combination methods. In addition, we use an end-of-sample instability test to investigate the stability of forecasting models during the recent financial crisis. We find in general that only a small number of single indicator models were performing well before the crisis. Pooling can substantially increase the reliability of leading indicator forecasts. During the crisis the relative performance of many leading indicator models increased. At short horizons, survey indicators perform best, while at longer horizons financial indicators, such as term spreads and risk spreads, improve relative to the benchmark.
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Business cycle 2000 and 2001: Change of buoyant forces stabilizes strong production dynamic in Germany
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 10,
2000
Abstract
Der Aufsatz analysiert und prognostiziert die konjunkturelle Entwicklung in Deutschland und im Euroraum in ausführlicher Form für das laufende Jahr 2000 und das Folgejahr 2001. Begünstigt von der Aufhellung des weltwirtschaftlichen Umfeldes sowie vom Kursrückgang des Euro gegenüber dem US-Dollar expandiert die Ausfuhr aus Deutschland kräftiger als noch vor einigen Monaten erwartet. Der exportgeleitete Aufschwung beflügelt die Investitionstätigkeit. Der entscheidende Schub für die Konsumausgaben der privaten Haushalte kommt im Jahr 2001 von der dritten Stufe des Steuerentlastungsgesetzes, die in Verbindung mit der Unternehmenssteuerreform vorgezogen werden soll. Die wichtigsten Daten der Volkswirtschaftlichen Gesamtrechnung für Deutschland sind in einer detaillierten Anhangstabelle enthalten.
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