Stylized Facts and Stylized Illusions: Inflation and Productivity Revisited

Norman Cameron, Derek Hum and Wayne Simpson

Canadian Journal of Economics, 1996, vol. 29, issue 1, 152-62

Abstract: Recent estimates of a negative empirical relationship between inflation and the rate of growth of productivity provide a strong case for vigorous anti-inflationary policy. This paper tests the robustness of this evidence using long quarterly and annual datasets for four countries (Canada, United States, United Kingdom, West Germany). Our results from cointegration and other time series tests show no evidence for any connection between inflation and the level of productivity. We do find a strong connection between inflation and productivity growth, but it is so internally inconsistent as to be incredible. The best explanation is that it is accounted for entirely by statistical bias from attempting to cointegrate stationary and non-stationary variables.

Date: 1996
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

Downloads: (external link)
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0008-4085%2819960 ... FASII%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 (text/html)
only available to JSTOR subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cje:issued:v:29:y:1996:i:1:p:152-62

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.economic ... ionen/membership.php

Access Statistics for this article

Canadian Journal of Economics is currently edited by Zhiqi Chen

More articles in Canadian Journal of Economics from Canadian Economics Association Canadian Economics Association Prof. Werrner Antweiler, Treasurer UBC Sauder School of Business 2053 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Prof. Werner Antweiler ().