Analysis of Hysteresis in Unemployment Rates with Structural Breaks: the Case of Selected European Countries

Abstract

In recent years, unemployment has become a major problem in many countries. The fluctuations of the unemployment rate as well as its persistence in some countries impose challenges to economic policy makers. In order to implement appropriate policy measures, it is necessary to know the exact character of the unemployment in the observed countryis it structural or cyclical. In the context of economic theory, it is important to examine which concept better represents the behaviour of the unemployment ratesthe concept of the natural rate of unemployment or hysteresis hypothesis. The character of unemployment is also influenced by some characteristics of a country under consideration. Therefore, the article examines the presence of hysteresis in monthly unemployment rates from January 2000 to January 2013 in two groups of countries: the selected European OECD countries and selected Central and Eastern European countries in transition. The analysis was conducted by using univariate and panel unit root tests and the structural break analysis. Although the hysteresis hypothesis cannot be rejected for the majority of the countries, when using univariate and panel unit root tests, the results of the structural break analysis indicate that the hysteresis hypothesis can be rejected in the case of OECD countries. In other words, the natural rate of unemployment better represents the movement of unemployment rates in this group of countries in the overall period. On the other hand, the hysteresis hypothesis cannot be rejected in the case of countries in transition. The presence of hysteresis effects in the countries in transition indicates that the application of economic policy directed to the demand side of the economy might have positive effects on reduction of unemployment. In OECD countries it is necessary to implement the institutional measures which could affect the bargaining power of labour unions, unemployment benefits, labour market flexibility, and so on.

Investment Hysteresis: An Empirical Essay Turkish Case

“…Marjanovic and Mihajlovic (2014) argue that structural break tests are the most widely used method to detect hysteresis. In this sense, structural break tests have been used in pioneering studies in the hysteresis literature (Baldwin, 1988; Blanchard & Summers, 1986; Mitchell, 1993; Røed, 1997).…”

“…Smooth transition structural break periods, on the other hand, occurred in 2014Q4 in investments, 2013Q3 in interest rates, 2012Q3 in GDP, and 2012Q3 in productivity. Marjanovic and Mihajlovic (2014) argue that structural break tests are the most widely used method to detect hysteresis. In this sense, structural break tests have been used in pioneering studies in the hysteresis literature (Baldwin, 1988;Blanchard & Summers, 1986;Mitchell, 1993;Røed, 1997).…”

The Estimation of Traditional Phillips Curve

“…Based on the simple fact, that unemployment rate is a nonstationary variable, Marjanovic and Mihajlovic concluded that time independent natural rate does not exist and it changes with almost every change in the unemployment rate (Marjanovic et al, 2014). This conclusion follows from the knowledge that non-stationary variables do not have constant and time independent means.…”

The Czech Republic’s Economy since the 1990s and Its Development Forecasts: Selected Macroeconomic Indicators

“…Gohmann and Fernandez (2014 apply a panel vector autoregressive model, determining the causal relationship between unemployment and ownership in the U.S. states using the 1976-2009 data. Marjanovic and Mihajlovic (2014) examine the presence of hysteresis in monthly unemployment rates in selected European OECD states and transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the 2000-2013 period, structural analysis suggesting that the hysteresis hypothesis can be rejected in the case of OECD countries, unlike the latter ones.…”