Guido Lorenzoni (Northwestern) 24.11.2021
We characterize optimal monetary policy in response to asymmetric shocks that shift
demand from one sector to another, a condition arguably faced by many economies
emerging from the Covid-19 crisis. We show that the asymmetry manifests itself as an
endogenous cost-push shock, breaking divine coincidence, and resulting in inflation
optimally exceeding its target despite elevated unemployment. In fact, there is no
simple, possibly re-weighted, inflation index that can be used as the optimal target.
When labor is mobile between sectors, monetary easing can have the additional benefit
of inducing faster reallocation, by producing wage increases in the expanding sector.
demand from one sector to another, a condition arguably faced by many economies
emerging from the Covid-19 crisis. We show that the asymmetry manifests itself as an
endogenous cost-push shock, breaking divine coincidence, and resulting in inflation
optimally exceeding its target despite elevated unemployment. In fact, there is no
simple, possibly re-weighted, inflation index that can be used as the optimal target.
When labor is mobile between sectors, monetary easing can have the additional benefit
of inducing faster reallocation, by producing wage increases in the expanding sector.
Time
Wednesday, 24.11.21 - 04:00 PM
- 05:30 PM
Topic
"Monetary Policy in Times of Structural Reallocation"
Location
via Zoom
Room
Meeting ID: 998 6826 5143 Passcode: 1124
Reservation
not required
Organizer
Institute for Macroeconomics and Econometrics
Contact