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Fiscal stimulus and labor market dynamics in Japan

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  • Kato, Ryuta Ray
  • Miyamoto, Hiroaki

Abstract

The paper studies the effects of fiscal expansion on the Japanese labor market. First, using a structural VAR model, we find that the unemployment rate falls and employment rises following an increase in government spending. We also find that fiscal expansion affects flows in and out of unemployment. While an increase in government spending increases the job-finding rate, it reduces the separation rate. We then incorporate search and matching frictions into a standard dynamic general equilibrium model, and study whether the model can explain what we observed in data. While the model fails to predict the exact size of the impact of government spending shocks on the Japanese labor market variables, it can consistently capture the empirical pattern of responses of labor market variables to shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Kato, Ryuta Ray & Miyamoto, Hiroaki, 2013. "Fiscal stimulus and labor market dynamics in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 33-58.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jjieco:v:30:y:2013:i:c:p:33-58
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jjie.2013.10.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Yoshino, Naoyuki & Miyamoto, Hiroaki, 2017. "Declined effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policies faced with aging population in Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 32-44.
    2. Tomomi Miyazaki & Haruo Kondoh, 2022. "Effects of Monetary and Fiscal Policy Interactions on Regional Employment: Evidence from Japan," Discussion Papers 2206, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    3. Go Kotera & Saisuke Sakai, 2017. "Complementarity between Merit Goods and Private Consumption: Evidence from estimated DSGE model for Japan," KIER Working Papers 978, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    4. Ryuta Ray Kato & Hiroaki Miyamoto, 2015. "Effects of Fiscal Stimulus on the Labor Market," Public Policy Review, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance Japan, vol. 11(2), pages 277-302, March.
    5. Taku Moriyama & Masashi Kuwano, 2022. "Causal inference for contemporaneous effects and its application to tourism product sales data," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(3), pages 250-260, September.
    6. Wifag Adnan & Kerim Peren Arin & Aysegul Corakci & Nicola Spagnolo, 2022. "On the heterogeneous effects of tax policy on labor market outcomes," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(3), pages 991-1036, January.
    7. Lin, Ching-Yang & Miyamoto, Hiroaki, 2014. "An estimated search and matching model of the Japanese labor market," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 86-104.
    8. Wiriyawit Varang & Wong Benjamin, 2016. "Structural VARs, deterministic and stochastic trends: how much detrending matters for shock identification," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 141-157, April.
    9. Yoshino, Naoyuki & Miyamoto, Hiroaki, 2017. "Decreased Effectiveness of Fiscal and Monetary Policies in Japan’s Aging Society," ADBI Working Papers 691, Asian Development Bank Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal policy; Unemployment; Labor market; Search and matching;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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