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Is Increased Price Flexibility Stabilizing? Redux

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  • Saroj Bhattarai
  • Gauti Eggertsson
  • Raphael Schoenle

Abstract

We study the implications of increased price flexibility on output volatility. In a simple DSGE model, we show analytically that more flexible prices always amplify output volatility for supply shocks and also amplify output volatility for demand shocks if monetary policy does not respond strongly to inflation. More flexible prices often reduce welfare, even under optimal monetary policy if full efficiency cannot be attained. We estimate a medium-scale DSGE model using post-WWII U.S. data. In a counterfactual experiment we find that if prices and wages are fully flexible, the standard deviation of annualized output growth more than doubles.

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  • Saroj Bhattarai & Gauti Eggertsson & Raphael Schoenle, 2014. "Is Increased Price Flexibility Stabilizing? Redux," NBER Working Papers 19886, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:19886
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy

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