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The Improvement of Unemployment Rate Predictions Accuracy

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  • Mihaela Simionescu

Abstract

This research is related to the assessment of alternative unemployment rate predictions for the Romanian economy, the forecasts being provided by three anonymous forecasters: F1, F2 and F3. F3 provided the most accurate forecasts for the horizon 2001-2014, while F2 predictions are the less accurate according to U1 Theil's statistic and according to a new method that has not been used before in literature in this context. The multi-criteria ranking was applied to make a hierarchy of the forecasters regarding the accuracy and five important accuracy measures were taken into account at the same time: mean errors, mean squared error, root mean squared error, U1 and U2 statistics of Theil. The combined forecasts of forecasters' predictions are the best strategy to improve the forecasts accuracy. The filtered and smoothed original predictions based on Hodrick-Prescott filter, respectively Holt-Winters technique, are a good strategy of improving the accuracy only for F2 expectations. The assessment and improvement of forecasts accuracy have an important contribution in growing the quality of decision-making process.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihaela Simionescu, 2015. "The Improvement of Unemployment Rate Predictions Accuracy," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2015(3), pages 274-286.
    • Handle: RePEc:prg:jnlpep:v:2015:y:2015:i:3:id:519:p:274-286
    DOI: 10.18267/j.pep.519
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Jinchao & Wu, Qianqian & Tian, Yu & Fan, Liguo, 2021. "Monthly Henry Hub natural gas spot prices forecasting using variational mode decomposition and deep belief network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    forecasts; accuracy; multi-criteria ranking; combined forecasts; Hodrick-Prescott filter; Holt-Winters smoothing exponential technique;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E27 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

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