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Labor productivity, effort and the Euro Area business cycle

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  • Lewis, Vivien
  • Villa, Stefania

Abstract

Labor productivity is highly procyclical in the Euro Area. We investigate the sources of this procyclicality in an estimated New Keynesian business cycle model with labor search frictions and variable factor utilization in both capital and labor. Labor input can vary along three margins: employment, hours, and effort (or utilization). We find evidence for a significant use of the effort margin in labor adjustment. Moreover, a model with effort outperforms one with variable capital utilization or dominant technology shocks. Finally, the effort margin dampens inflation volatility.

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  • Lewis, Vivien & Villa, Stefania, 2023. "Labor productivity, effort and the Euro Area business cycle," CEPR Discussion Papers 18389, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:18389
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    Cited by:

    1. Maarten Dossche & Andrea Gavazzi & Vivien Lewis, 2023. "Labor Adjustment and Productivity in the OECD," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 47, pages 111-130, January.
    2. Matthias S. Hertweck & Vivien Lewis & Stefania Villa, 2021. "Going the Extra Mile: Effort by Workers and Job‐Seekers," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(8), pages 2099-2127, December.
    3. Gantert, Konstantin, 2022. "The impact of active aggregate demand on utilisation-adjusted TFP," IWH Discussion Papers 9/2022, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    4. Kim, Minseung & Shim, Myungkyu, 2020. "Variable Effort, Business Cycles, and Economic Welfare," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    5. Maarten Dossche & Andrea Gavazzi & Vivien Lewis, 2023. "Labor Adjustment and Productivity in the OECD," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 47, pages 111-130, January.
    6. Gantert, Konstantin, 2022. "The Impact of Active Aggregate Demand on Utilization-Adjusted TFP," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264103, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Josué Diwambuena & Raquel Fonseca & Stefan Schubert, 2023. "Labor Market Institutions, Productivity, and the Business Cycle: An Application to Italy," Cahiers de recherche / Working Papers 2302, Chaire de recherche sur les enjeux économiques intergénérationnels / Research Chair in Intergenerational Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E30 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General

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