E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics

• Sterilized Intervention in Emerging-Market Economies: Trends, Costs, and Risks

  Staff Discussion Paper 2008-4 Robert Lavigne

  The author examines recent trends in sterilized intervention among emerging-market economies, to determine the size and extent of this policy in relation to earlier periods of heavy reserve accumulation. He then analyzes whether the domestic costs and risks of substantial and prolonged sterilization are beginning to manifest themselves.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers Topic(s): Exchange rate regimes, Financial stability, International topics JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, F, F3, F31, O, O2, O24

• Welfare Effects of Commodity Price and Exchange Rate Volatilities in a Multi-Sector Small Open Economy Model

  Staff Working Paper 2008-8 Ali Dib

  This paper develops a multi-sector New Keynesian model of a small open economy that includes commodity, manufacturing, non-tradable, and import sectors. Price and wage rigidities are sector specific, modelled à la Calvo-Yun style contracts.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Economic models, Exchange rate regimes, International topics JEL Code(s): E, E4, E5, E52, F, F3, F4

• Markups in Canada: Have They Changed and Why?

  Staff Working Paper 2008-7 Danny Leung

  Many empirical studies have examined the cyclical nature of the markup ratio. Until recently, few have attempted to ascertain the changes in the markup over a longer time horizon.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, F, F4, F41, L, L1, L11

• Inflation Targeting and Price-Level-Path Targeting in the GEM: Some Open Economy Considerations

  Staff Working Paper 2008-6 Donald Coletti, René Lalonde, Dirk Muir

  This paper compares the performance of simple inflation targeting (IT) and price-level path targeting (PLPT) rules to stabilize the macroeconomy, in response to a series of shocks, similar to those seen in Canada and the United States over the 1983 to 2004 period.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Economic models, Inflation and prices, Inflation: costs and benefits, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): C, C5, C51, C52, E, E1, E17, E3, E31, E5, E52

• Unsecured Debt, Consumer Bankruptcy, and Small Business

  Staff Working Paper 2008-5 Césaire Meh, Yaz Terajima

  In this paper we develop a quantitative model of entrepreneurial activity (risk-taking) and consumer bankruptcy choices and use the model to study the effects of bankruptcy regulations on entrepreneurial activity, bankruptcy rate and welfare.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Economic models, Financial stability, Financial system regulation and policies JEL Code(s): D, D3, D31, E, E2, E21, J, J2, J23

• Adopting Price-Level Targeting under Imperfect Credibility

  Staff Working Paper 2008-3 Oleksiy Kryvtsov, Malik Shukayev, Alexander Ueberfeldt

  This paper measures the welfare gains of switching from inflation-targeting to price-level targeting under imperfect credibility. Vestin (2006) shows that when the monetary authority cannot commit to future policy, price-level targeting yields higher welfare than inflation targeting.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Credibility, Monetary policy framework JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E5, E52

• A Wave of Protectionism? An Analysis of Economic and Political Considerations

  Staff Working Paper 2008-2 Philipp Maier

  In light of the U.S. current account deficit, pressure is high on Asian countries to revalue their currencies. The calls from some U.S. policymakers for tariffs on imports from China has sparked fears that this could trigger a world-wide surge in protectionism.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): International topics, Recent economic and financial developments, Regional economic developments JEL Code(s): E, E6, E66, F, F3, F32, F4, F47

• Electronic Transactions as High-Frequency Indicators of Economic Activity

  Staff Working Paper 2007-58 John Galbraith, Greg Tkacz

  Since the advent of standard national accounts data over 60 years ago, economists have traditionally relied on monthly or quarterly data supplied by central statistical agencies for macroeconomic modelling and forecasting.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles JEL Code(s): E, E1, E17, E2, E27, E6, E66

• Estimation and Inference by the Method of Projection Minimum Distance

  Staff Working Paper 2007-56 Òscar Jordà, Sharon Kozicki

  A covariance-stationary vector of variables has a Wold representation whose coefficients can be semi-parametrically estimated by local projections (Jordà, 2005). Substituting the Wold representations for variables in model expressions generates restrictions that can be used by the method of minimum distance to estimate model parameters.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Econometric and statistical methods JEL Code(s): C, C3, C32, C5, C53, E, E4, E47

• The Impact of Emerging Asia on Commodity Prices

  Staff Working Paper 2007-55 Sylvie Morin, Calista Cheung

  Over the past 5 years, real energy and non-energy commodity prices have trended sharply higher. These relative price movements have had important implications for inflation and economic activity in both Canada and the rest of the world. China has accounted for the bulk of incremental demand for oil and many base metals over this period.

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Business fluctuations and cycles, International topics JEL Code(s): E, E3, F, F4, O, O1, O19, Q, Q1, Q11