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Keynesian and monetarist views on the German unemployment problem: theory and evidence

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  • Gottschalk, Jan

Abstract

Persistently high unemployment rates in Germany have led to a long-running controversy on the causes of the unemployment problem. This paper aims to re­view the contribution of Keynesian and monetarist theories to this controversy and explores empirically their implications for the explanation of high un­em­ploy­ment in Germany using a structural vector regression approach. In addition, this paper discusses the so-called wage gap which plays an important role in the debate whether the German unemployment problem is a real wage problem. Even though this paper cannot hope to settle the unemployment controversy, it nevertheless shows why a consensus has remained elusive.

Suggested Citation

  • Gottschalk, Jan, 2002. "Keynesian and monetarist views on the German unemployment problem: theory and evidence," Kiel Working Papers 1096, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1096
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    Cited by:

    1. Ulrich Fritsche & Camille Logeay, 2002. "Structural Unemployment and the Output Gap in Germany: Evidence from an SVAR Analysis within a Hysteresis Framework," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 312, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    2. Bizer, Kilian & Sesselmeier, Werner, 2004. "Koordinierte Makropolitik in der Europäischen Union?," Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics 137, Darmstadt University of Technology, Department of Law and Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unemployment; Phillips Curve; Structural Vector Autoregressions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • B22 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Macroeconomics

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