Inflation: costs and benefits

• December 14, 2007

  The Costs of Inflation in New Keynesian Models

  Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2007-2008 Steve Ambler

  Ambler describes three new channels through which inflation affects economic welfare in New Keynesian models. These channels were absent from traditional analyses and may have caused researchers to underestimate the costs associated with variable inflation, even at relatively low levels of inflation. The article concludes with a preliminary assessment of the quantitative importance of the new channels and their significance for monetary policy.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework
• December 11, 2007

  The Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates: Implications for Monetary Policy

  Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2007-2008 Claude Lavoie, Stephen Murchison

  One of the most important factors that must be considered if countries are thinking about lowering the target level of inflation much below 2 per cent is the zero interest bound. Targeting inflation rates that are too low, the authors note, may restrict the ability of monetary policy to respond to economic shocks by limiting the amount by which interest rates can be eased.

  Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Interest rates, Monetary policy implementation

• Trend Inflation, Wage and Price Rigidities, and Welfare

  Staff Working Paper 2007-42 Robert Amano, Kevin Moran, Stephen Murchison, Andrew Rennison

  This paper studies the steady-state costs of inflation in a general-equilibrium model with real per capita output growth and staggered nominal price and wage contracts.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits JEL Code(s): E, E0, E5

• Liquidity, Redistribution, and the Welfare Cost of Inflation

  Staff Working Paper 2007-39 Jonathan Chiu, Miguel Molico

  This paper studies the long run welfare costs of inflation in a micro-founded model with trading frictions and costly liquidity management.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits JEL Code(s): E, E4, E40, E5, E50

• Cross-Country Estimates of the Degree of Fiscal Dominance and Central Bank Independence

  Staff Working Paper 2007-36 Carlos De Resende

  This paper studies the interdependence between fiscal and monetary policies, and their joint role in the determination of the price level.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Central bank research, Fiscal policy, Inflation: costs and benefits JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E4, E42, E5, E50, E6, E63

• The Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates: Implications for the Optimal Monetary Policy in Canada

  Staff Discussion Paper 2007-1 Claude Lavoie, Hope Pioro

  The authors assess the performance of the Canadian economy under a variety of interest rate rules when the zero bound on nominal interest rates can bind. Their assessment is based on numerical simulations of a dynamic stochastic general-equilibrium model in a stochastic environment. Consistent with the literature, the authors find that the probability and consequences […]

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Inflation: costs and benefits, Interest rates, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, E47, E5, E52