E32

Business Fluctuations; Cycles

Asynchronous Business Cycles in the E.U.: the Effect of the Common Currency

JEL codes: 
E32, E37, E40
Version Date: 
May 2010
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the policies and procedures towards economic convergence between the countries that participated in the European Exchange Mechanism I and which are now members states of the Eurozone.

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Institutions and Business Cycles

JEL codes: 
C32, E32, E37
Version Date: 
Dec 2012
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

This paper investigates the relationship between the main features of business cycles and the institutional and structural characteristics of countries of up to 62 industrial, emerging and formerly centrally planned economies from all continents. We derive the business cycle characteristics using the nonparametric Harding-Pagan approach.

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Aggregate Hours Worked in OECD Countries: New Measurement and Implications for Business Cycles

JEL codes: 
E32, F41, J20
Version Date: 
Dec 2011
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

We build a dataset of quarterly hours worked for 14 OECD countries. We document that hours are as volatile as output, that a large fraction of labor adjustment takes place along the intensive margin, and that

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The British opt-out from the European Monetary Union: empirical evidence from monetary policy rules

JEL codes: 
E32, E52
Version Date: 
Nov 2011
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

We analyze the current state of the monetary integration in Europe focusing on the UK position regarding the European Monetary
Union. The interest rates decisions of the European Central Bank
and the Bank of England are compared through different specifications of the Taylor Rule.

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Institutions and Business Cycles

JEL codes: 
E32
Version Date: 
Nov 2011
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

This paper investigates the relationship between the main features of business cycles and the institutional and structural characteristics of countries of up to 62 industrial, emerging and formerly centrally planned economies from all continents. We derive the business cycle characteristics using the nonparametric Harding-Pagan approach.

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Credit Risk and Disaster Risk

JEL codes: 
E32, E44, G12
Version Date: 
Jan 2011
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

return on a well-diversified portfolio of corporate bonds is close to zero. In contrast, the empirical finance literature documents large and time-varying risk premia in the corporate bond market (the "credit spread puzzle"). This paper introduces a parsimonious real business cycle model where firms issue defaultable debt and equity to finance investment.

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Technology Shocks: Novel Implications for International Business Cycles

JEL codes: 
E32, F32, F41
Version Date: 
Aug 2010
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

Understanding the joint dynamics of international prices and quantities remains a central issue in international business cycles. International relative prices appreciate when domestic consumption and output increase more than their foreign counterparts. In addition, both trade flows and trade prices display sizable volatility.

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Business Cycles around the Globe: A Regime-switching Approach

JEL codes: 
C32, E32, E37
Version Date: 
Jul 2010
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

This paper characterizes business cycle phenomena in a sample of 27 developed and developing economies using a univariate Markov regime switching approach. It examines the efficacy of this approach for detecting business cycle turning points and for identifying distinct economic regimes for each country in question.

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International Business Cycle Spillovers

JEL codes: 
C32, E32, F41
Version Date: 
Jul 2010
Author/s: 
Abstract: 

This paper studies business cycle interdependence among the industrialized countries since 1958. Using the spillover index methodology recently proposed by Diebold and Yilmaz (2009) and based on the generalized VAR framework, I develop an alternative measure of comovement of macroeconomic aggregates across countries. I have several important results.

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