Inflation and prices
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The 1975–78 Anti-Inflation Program in Retrospect
The author provides an overview of the 1975–78 Anti-Inflation Program (AIP), in a background document prepared for a seminar organized by the Bank of Canada to mark the AIP's 30th anniversary. -
Measurement Bias in the Canadian Consumer Price Index
The consumer price index (CPI) is the most commonly used measure of inflation in Canada. -
Does Financial Structure Matter for the Information Content of Financial Indicators?
Of particular concern to monetary policy-makers is the considerable unreliability of financial variables for predicting GDP growth and inflation. -
Has Exchange Rate Pass-Through Really Declined in Canada?
Several empirical studies suggest that exchange rate pass-through has declined in recent years in industrialized countries. -
Inflation and Relative Price Dispersion in Canada: An Empirical Assessment
The authors investigate empirically the relationship between different aspects of inflation and relative price dispersion in Canada using a Markov regime-switching Phillips curve. -
Inflation Dynamics and the New Keynesian Phillips Curve: An Identification-Robust Econometric Analysis
The authors use identification-robust methods to assess the empirical adequacy of a New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) equation. -
Endogenous Central Bank Credibility in a Small Forward-Looking Model of the U.S. Economy
The linkages between inflation and the economy's cyclical position are thought to be strongly affected by the credibility of monetary authorities. -
State-Dependent or Time-Dependent Pricing: Does It Matter for Recent U.S. Inflation?
Inflation equals the product of two terms: an extensive margin (the fraction of items with price changes) and an intensive margin (the average size of those changes). -
December 23, 2004
A Survey of the Price-Setting Behaviour of Canadian Companies
To better understand price-setting behaviour in the Canadian economy, the Bank of Canada's regional offices surveyed a representative sample of 170 firms between July 2002 and March 2003. The authors discuss the reasons behind the survey, the methodology used to develop the questionnaire and conduct the interviews, and summarize the results. The study also assessed several explanations for holding prices steady despite market pressures for a change. The survey findings indicate that prices in Canada are relatively flexible and have become more flexible over the past decade. Price stickiness was generally found to originate in firms' fears of antagonizing customers or disturbing the goodwill or reputation developed with them. A detailed discussion of the results includes a consideration of their implications for monetary policy.