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The Impact of Uncertainty on Monetary Policy Rules in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Martin

    (Brunel University)

  • Costas Milas

    (Keele University, Centre for Economic Research and School of Economic and Management Studies)

Abstract

Although policymakers and commentators have repeatedly stressed the impact of uncertainty about the true state of the economy on the setting of interest rates, the academic literature has largely ignored this issue. This paper provides a theoretical analysis of how uncertainty about the true state of the economy affects optimal monetary policy rules and presents empirical evidence using data for the UK since the introduction of inflation targets in October 1992. We find that the impact of inflation on interest rates is smaller when inflation is more uncertain and larger when the output gap is more uncertain; we also find that the impact of the output gap is smaller when the output gap is more uncertain. We also find that uncertainty has reduced the volatility but has not affected the average value of interest rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Martin & Costas Milas, 2006. "The Impact of Uncertainty on Monetary Policy Rules in the UK," Keele Economics Research Papers KERP 2006/09, Centre for Economic Research, Keele University.
    • Handle: RePEc:kee:kerpuk:2006/09
    Note: This paper is a substantially revised and updated version of our paper "Uncertainty and UK Monetary Policy" (KERP 2005/11). We thank Virginie Boinet, Jerry Coakley, Denise Osborn, Theo Panagiotidis, Simon van Norden and seminar participants at Nuffield College, the 2004 Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Conference in Manchester and the RES 2006 conference in Nottingham for very useful comments and suggestions.
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    File URL: http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/ec/wpapers/kerp0609.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary policy; Uncertainty.;

    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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