IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/subboe/v63y2018i2p3-34n1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Involuntary Unemployment in a Neoclassical Growth Model with Public Debt and Human Capital

Author

Listed:
  • Farmer Karl

    (University of Graz, Austria)

  • Kuplen Stefan

    (University of Graz, Austria)

Abstract

Even more than eight decades since the publication of Keynes’ “General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money” modern macroeconomists disagree on the notion of “underemployment equilibrium” with so-called “involuntary unemployment”. While the majority of macro theorists trace involuntary unemployment back to frictions and rigidities in the adaptation of wages and output prices to market imbalances, a minority position holds that even under perfectly flexible output prices and wage rates involuntary unemployment might occur. Morishima in “Walras’ Economics” and more recently Magnani presume that contrary to the majority view aggregate investment is not perfectly flexible but governed by “animal spirits” of investors. The aim of the present paper is to integrate the Morishima-Magnani approach into a Diamond-type overlapping generations’ (OLG) model with internal public debt subsequently extended by human capital accumulation. It turns out that in spite of perfectly flexible real wage and interest rate involuntary unemployment occurs in intertemporal general equilibrium when aggregate investor sentiments are too pessimistic regarding the rentability of investment in real capital. In the model extended by human capital a higher public debt to output ratio decreases unambiguously involuntary unemployment, if initially the endogenous output growth rate is higher than the real interest rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Farmer Karl & Kuplen Stefan, 2018. "Involuntary Unemployment in a Neoclassical Growth Model with Public Debt and Human Capital," Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Oeconomica, Sciendo, vol. 63(2), pages 3-34, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:subboe:v:63:y:2018:i:2:p:3-34:n:1
    DOI: 10.2478/subboec-2018-0006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/subboec-2018-0006
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/subboec-2018-0006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Taylor, John B, 1979. "Staggered Wage Setting in a Macro Model," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 69(2), pages 108-113, May.
    2. N. Gregory Mankiw, 1985. "Small Menu Costs and Large Business Cycles: A Macroeconomic Model of Monopoly," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 100(2), pages 529-538.
    3. Taylor, John B, 1980. "Aggregate Dynamics and Staggered Contracts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(1), pages 1-23, February.
    4. Riccardo Magnani, 2015. "The Solow Growth Model Revisited. Introducing Keynesian Involuntary Unemployment," Working Papers hal-01203393, HAL.
    5. George A. Akerlof & Janet L. Yellen, 1985. "A Near-Rational Model of the Business Cycle, with Wage and Price Inertia," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 100(Supplemen), pages 823-838.
    6. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    7. Galor, Oded, 1992. "A Two-Sector Overlapping-Generations Model: A Global Characterization of the Dynamical System," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(6), pages 1351-1386, November.
    8. Roger E. A. Farmer, 2012. "Confidence, Crashes and Animal Spirits," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 122(559), pages 155-172, March.
    9. Laurence Ball & David Romer, 1990. "Real Rigidities and the Non-Neutrality of Money," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 57(2), pages 183-203.
    10. Blanchard, Olivier Jean & Kiyotaki, Nobuhiro, 1987. "Monopolistic Competition and the Effects of Aggregate Demand," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(4), pages 647-666, September.
    11. Rankin, Neil, 1987. "Disequilibrium and the Welfare-Maximising Levels of Government Spending, Taxation and Debt," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 97(385), pages 65-85, March.
    12. Auerbach, Alan J & Kotlikoff, Laurence J, 1987. "Evaluating Fiscal Policy with a Dynamic Simulation Model," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(2), pages 49-55, May.
    13. Riccardo Magnani, 2015. "The Solow Growth Model Revisited. Introducing Keynesian Involuntary Unemployment," CEPN Working Papers hal-01203393, HAL.
    14. Roger E.A. Farmer, 2013. "Animal Spirits, Financial Crises and Persistent Unemployment-super-," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 0, pages 317-340, May.
    15. Rankin, N, 1986. "Debt Policy under Fixed and Flexible Prices," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 38(3), pages 481-500, November.
    16. Alan J. Auerbach & Laurence J. Kotlikoff, 1998. "Study Guide to Accompany Macroeconomics, 2nd Edition: An Integrated Approach," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262661462, April.
    17. Shuanglin Lin, 2000. "Government Debt and Economic Growth in an Overlapping Generations Model," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 66(3), pages 754-763, January.
    18. Barro, Robert J & Grossman, Herschel I, 1971. "A General Disequilibrium Model of Income and Employment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 61(1), pages 82-93, March.
    19. Karl Farmer, 2006. "Reducing Public Debt under Dynamic Efficiency: Transitional Dynamics in Diamond's OLG Model," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 34(2), pages 195-208, June.
    20. de la Croix,David & Michel,Philippe, 2002. "A Theory of Economic Growth," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521001151, October.
    21. Alan J. Auerbach & Laurence J. Kotlikoff, 1998. "Macroeconomics, 2nd Edition: An Integrated Approach," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262511037, April.
    22. Glomm, Gerhard & Ravikumar, B, 1992. "Public versus Private Investment in Human Capital Endogenous Growth and Income Inequality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(4), pages 818-834, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Adriana Elena Porumboiu & Petre Brezeanu, 2023. "Macroeconomic Factors that Generate Fiscal Risk in Romania," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 8, pages 35-56.
    2. Jinlu Li & Shuanglin Lin, 2021. "Existence of equilibrium in an overlapping‐generations model with government debt," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(4), pages 691-709, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ronald Schettkat & Rongrong Sun, 2009. "Monetary policy and European unemployment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 25(1), pages 94-108, Spring.
    2. N. Gregory Mankiw, 2008. "Makroekonomista jako naukowiec i inżynier," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 85-106.
    3. Rongrong Sun, 2014. "Nominal rigidity and some new evidence on the New Keynesian theory of the output-inflation tradeoff," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 575-597, December.
    4. N. G. Mankiw, 2009. "The Macroeconomist as Scientist and Engineer," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 5.
    5. Ronny Mazzocchi, 2013. "Scope and Flaws of the New Neoclassical Synthesis," DEM Discussion Papers 2013/13, Department of Economics and Management.
    6. Frederick van der Ploeg, 2005. "Back to Keynes?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 51(4), pages 777-822.
    7. Louis Phaneuf, 1992. "Contrats de salaire, anticipations d'équilibre et persistance du chômage," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 43(3), pages 445-458.
    8. Karel Brůna, 2003. "Nedokonalá konkurence, náklady cenových změn a neúplná racionalita jako zdroje nominální cenové rigidity v nové keynesovské makroekonomii [Imperfect competition, menu costs and near rationality as ," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2003(6), pages 901-914.
    9. N. Gregory Mankiw & Ricardo Reis, 2002. "Sticky Information versus Sticky Prices: A Proposal to Replace the New Keynesian Phillips Curve," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(4), pages 1295-1328.
    10. Mankiw, N Gregory, 2001. "The Inexorable and Mysterious Tradeoff between Inflation and Unemployment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 111(471), pages 45-61, May.
    11. Ronald Schettkat & Rongrong Sun, 2009. "Nicht zu früh bremsen! - Der Einfluss der Geldpolitik auf die langfristige Wirtschaftsentwicklung in Deutschland und den USA-," Schumpeter Discussion Papers sdp09003, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    12. Ieva Rubene & Paolo Guarda, 2004. "The new Keynesian Phillips curve: empirical results for Luxembourg," BCL working papers 11, Central Bank of Luxembourg.
    13. Karanassou, Marika & Snower, Dennis J., 2007. "On the Interplay between Keynesian and Supply Side Economics," Economics Series 206, Institute for Advanced Studies.
    14. Slanicay Martin, 2014. "Some Notes on Historical, Theoretical, and Empirical Background of DSGE Models," Review of Economic Perspectives, Sciendo, vol. 14(2), pages 145-164, June.
    15. Mankiw, N Gregory, 1990. "A Quick Refresher Course in Macroeconomics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 1645-1660, December.
    16. Huang, Kevin X. D. & Liu, Zheng, 2002. "Staggered price-setting, staggered wage-setting, and business cycle persistence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 405-433, March.
    17. Oghenovo Adewale Obrimah, 2016. "Implications of New Keynesian Theory for Benchmarking of Monetary Efficiency," International Journal of Regional Development, Macrothink Institute, vol. 3(2), pages 1-76, December.
    18. Höppner, Florian & Gottschalk, Jan, 2001. "Measuring the Effects of Monetary Policy in the Euro Area: The Role of Anticipated Policy," Kiel Working Papers 1074, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    19. Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2008. "Endogenous information, menu costs and inflation persistence," NBER Working Papers 14184, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Yuli Radev, 2015. "New dynamic disequilibrium," Economic Thought journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 6, pages 65-90.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Underemployment equilibrium; involuntary unemployment; aggregate investment function; overlapping generations’ model; human capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:subboe:v:63:y:2018:i:2:p:3-34:n:1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.