Discussion Paper
No. 2007-34 | August 03, 2007
Annika Alexius and Bertil Holmlund
Monetary Policy and Swedish Unemployment Fluctuations

Abstract

A widely spread belief among economists is that monetary policy has relatively short-lived effects on real variables such as unemployment. Previous studies indicate that monetary policy affects the output gap only at business cycle frequencies, but the effects on unemployment may well be more persistent in countries with highly regulated labor markets. We study the Swedish experience of unemployment and monetary policy. Using a structural VAR we find that around 30 percent of the fluctuations in unemployment are caused by shocks to monetary policy. The effects are also quite persistent. In the preferred model, almost 30 percent of the maximum effect of a shock still remains after ten years.

JEL Classification:

E24, J60

Links

Cite As

[Please cite the corresponding journal article] Annika Alexius and Bertil Holmlund (2007). Monetary Policy and Swedish Unemployment Fluctuations. Economics Discussion Papers, No 2007-34, Kiel Institute for the World Economy. http://www.economics-ejournal.org/economics/discussionpapers/2007-34


Comments and Questions



Anonymous - Referee Report
September 25, 2007 - 15:03
see attached file

Bertil Holmlund - Response to Referee Reports
October 18, 2007 - 11:15
see attached file

Bertil Holmlund - Revised Version
October 18, 2007 - 11:17
see attached file