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Asymmetry in the relationship between unemployment and the business cycle

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  • Jorge Belaire-Franch
  • Amado Peiró

Abstract

This study analyses asymmetries in the dynamic relationship between unemployment and the business cycle in the UK and the US. Unemployment rates present clear unconditional asymmetry in both countries. Markov switching regime models with two regimes also display clear asymmetries and show that, in the US, the effect of cyclical contractions on unemployment is much stronger than that of expansions, while in the UK it is observed that male unemployment is much more sensitive to cyclical variations than female unemployment. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Jorge Belaire-Franch & Amado Peiró, 2015. "Asymmetry in the relationship between unemployment and the business cycle," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 683-697, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:48:y:2015:i:2:p:683-697
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-014-0803-0
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bod’a, Martin & Považanová, Mariana, 2021. "Output-unemployment asymmetry in Okun coefficients for OECD countries," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 307-323.
    3. Donayre, Luiggi, 2022. "On the behavior of Okun's law across business cycles," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    4. Mehak Ejaz & Kalim Hyder, 2017. "Are Some Groups More Vulnerable to Business Cycle Shocks than Others? A Regional Analysis of Pakistan’s Labor Market," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 22(Special E), pages 199-231, September.
    5. Brincikova Zuzana & Darmo Lubomir, 2015. "The Impact of Economic Growth on Gender Specific Unemployment in the EU," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 62(3), pages 383-390, November.
    6. Celia Melguizo, 2017. "An analysis of Okun’s law for the Spanish provinces," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 37(1), pages 59-90, February.
    7. Mindaugas Butkus & Kristina Matuzeviciute & Dovile Rupliene & Janina Seputiene, 2020. "Does Unemployment Responsiveness to Output Change Depend on Age, Gender, Education, and the Phase of the Business Cycle?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-29, November.
    8. Mercè Sala-Rios & Teresa Torres-Solé & Mariona Farré-Perdiguer, 2018. "Immigrants’ employment and the business cycle in Spain: taking account of gender and origin," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(2), pages 463-490, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business cycle; Gender; Markov switching regime model; Unemployment; E32; J64;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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