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Evaluating the Persistence and Structuralist Theories of Unemployment from a Nonlinear Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Coakley Jerry

    (University of Essex)

  • Fuertes Ana-María

    (City University)

  • Zoega Gylfi

    (University of London)

Abstract

This paper assesses empirically two competing unemployment theories. It identifies one structural break in U.K. and German unemployment around 1980 that is more severe in both absolute and relative terms than that for the United States in 1973. This offers support for the structuralist theory. A nonlinear (TAR) model is used to capture fast-up, slow-down unemployment dynamics. Impulse response functions suggest that the half-lives of shocks are longer in the postbreak subsamples, especially in Europe, which places the persistence theory closer to the mark. We conclude that elements from both theories are needed for an adequate account of unemployment dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Coakley Jerry & Fuertes Ana-María & Zoega Gylfi, 2001. "Evaluating the Persistence and Structuralist Theories of Unemployment from a Nonlinear Perspective," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 5(3), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:sndecm:v:5:y:2001:i:3:n:2
    DOI: 10.2202/1558-3708.1078
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Marika Karanassou & Hector Sala & Dennis J. Snower, 2010. "Phillips Curves And Unemployment Dynamics: A Critique And A Holistic Perspective," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-51, February.
    3. Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Luis A. Gil‐Alana, 2007. "Nonlinearities and Fractional Integration in the US Unemployment Rate," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 69(4), pages 521-544, August.
    4. Kurmaş Akdoğan, 2017. "Unemployment hysteresis and structural change in Europe," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 1415-1440, December.
    5. Coakley, Jerry & Fuertes, Ana-Maria, 2006. "Valuation ratios and price deviations from fundamentals," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 2325-2346, August.
    6. Dilem Yıldırım & Dilan Aydın, 2021. "One Crisis After Another: A Dynamic Unemployment Persistence Analysis For The Gips Countries," ERC Working Papers 2102, ERC - Economic Research Center, Middle East Technical University, revised Apr 2021.
    7. Clemente, Jesus & Lanaspa, Luis & Montanes, Antonio, 2005. "The unemployment structure of the US states," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-5), pages 848-868, September.
    8. Caporale, Guglielmo Maria & Gil-Alana, Luis A., 2008. "Modelling the US, UK and Japanese unemployment rates: Fractional integration and structural breaks," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 52(11), pages 4998-5013, July.
    9. Giorgio Canarella & Rangan Gupta & Stephen M. Miller & Stephen K. Pollard, 2019. "Unemployment rate hysteresis and the great recession: exploring the metropolitan evidence," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 61-79, January.
    10. Atanu Ghoshray & Sushil Mohan, 2021. "Coffee price dynamics: an analysis of the retail-international price margin [Commodity dependence and development: suggestions to tackle the commodities problem]," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 48(4), pages 983-1006.
    11. Fosten, Jack & Ghoshray, Atanu, 2011. "Dynamic persistence in the unemployment rate of OECD countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 948-954, May.
    12. Diego Romero‐Ávila & Carlos Usabiaga, 2007. "Unit Root Tests, Persistence, and the Unemployment Rate of the U.S. States," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 73(3), pages 698-716, January.
    13. Coakley, Jerry & Fuertes, Ana-Maria, 2006. "Testing for sign and amplitude asymmetries using threshold autoregressions," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 623-654, April.
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    15. van Dijk, Dick & Franses, Philip Hans & Paap, Richard, 2002. "A nonlinear long memory model, with an application to US unemployment," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 110(2), pages 135-165, October.

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