The Network Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations

Daron Acemoglu, Vasco Carvalho, Asuman Ozdaglar and Alireza Tahbaz-Salehi

No 587, Working Papers from Barcelona School of Economics

Abstract: This paper argues that in the presence of intersectoral input-output linkages, microeconomic idiosyncratic shocks may lead to aggregate fluctuations. In particular, it shows that, as the economy becomes more disaggregated, the rate at which aggregate volatility decays is determined by the structure of the network capturing such linkages. Our main results provide a characterization of this relationship in terms of the importance of different sectors as suppliers to their immediate customers as well as their role as indirect suppliers to chains of downstream sectors. Such higher-order interconnections capture the possibility of "cascade effects" whereby productivity shocks to a sector propagate not only to its immediate downstream customers, but also indirectly to the rest of the economy. Our results highlight that sizable aggregate volatility is obtained from sectoral idiosyncratic shocks only if there exists significant asymmetry in the roles that sectors play as suppliers to others, and that the "sparseness" of the input-output matrix is unrelated to the nature of aggregate fluctuations.

Keywords: business cycle; diversification; aggregate volatility; input-output linkages; intersectoral network; cascades (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C67 D57 E32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme and nep-net
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Network Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations (2012)
Working Paper: The Network Origins of Aggregate Fluctuations (2012)
Working Paper: The network origins of aggregate fluctuations (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bge:wpaper:587

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