Optimal Prudential Policy in Economies with Downward Wage Rigidity

Martin Wolf

Vienna Economics Papers from University of Vienna, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper studies optimal policy in economies with downward nominal wage rigidity when only prudential instruments are available. The optimal policy reduces labor demand in expansions as this curtails unemployment in recessions. The cost of the intervention is that in expansions, the economy produces below potential. We characterize this trade-o theoretically and quantitatively by applying our model to Greece, 1999-2016. We and that the optimal prudential policy would have significantly reduced Greek unemployment after the downturn in 2008. Furthermore, we and large welfare gains of the optimal prudential policy, removing about one fourth of the total welfare cost of downward wage rigidity.

JEL-codes: E24 E32 F41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-08
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://papersecon.univie.ac.at/RePEc/vie/viennp/vie1804.pdf (application/pdf)

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:vie:viennp:vie1804

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Vienna Economics Papers from University of Vienna, Department of Economics
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Paper Administrator ().