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A reappraisal of the inflation-unemployment tradeoff

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  • Karanassou, Marika
  • Sala, Héctor
  • Snower, Dennis J.

Abstract

This paper offers a reappraisal of the inflation-unemployment tradeoff, based on ?frictional growth,? describing the interplay between nominal frictions and money growth. When the money supply grows in the presence of price inertia (due to staggered wage contracts with time discounting), the price adjustments to each successive change in the money supply are never able to work themselves out fully. In this context, temporary nominal rigidities let monetary policy have permanent real effects. Although our theory contains no money illusion, no permanent nominal rigidities, and no departure from rational expectations, there is a long-run inflation-unemployment tradeoff. Our empirical analysis suggests that this Phillips curve may be reasonably flat. We show that the persistence of inflation and unemployment, in response to monetary policy shocks, is related to the slope of the long-run Phillips curve.

Suggested Citation

  • Karanassou, Marika & Sala, Héctor & Snower, Dennis J., 2005. "A reappraisal of the inflation-unemployment tradeoff," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 3457, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:3457
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inflation; unemployment; Phillips curve; nominal inertia; wage-price staggering; monetary policy; business cycles; forward-looking expectations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment
    • E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles
    • E4 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates
    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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