Tests of real interest parity in international currency markets

The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavior of real bilateral exchange rates for major currencies and test the hypothesis of real uncovered interest parity with risk premia, and forward looking expectations. It is plausible that the hypothesis of rational expectations cannot be rejected given the unit root nonstationarity of real exchange rates but it is not unlikely that unit root nonstationarity may be due to rational expectations in foreign exchange markets.     

Do supervisory inputs matter in a capital-intensive industry? Some evidence from a Japanese car transplant

We estimate a translog production function based on data from a Japanese automobile plant in the Midwest where output is determined by capital and different supervisory time inputs. We fit a model which allows for heteroskedastic errors, where this heteroskedasticity is a function of various variables affecting perceived target severity. We find that while, as expected, capital inputs are important, each supervisory time input is also significant in this capital-intensive industry. Linear homogeneity in these inputs is rejected. We find evidence of asymmetry in substitution among different components of supervisory time. This asymmetry has implications for the design and allocation of supervisory tasks. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Einsparpotenziale bei Verwaltungs- und Verfahrenskosten durch die Fusion von gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften — eine empirische Analyse für Deutschland

We analyze the cost savings potential with regard to administration and management costs by merging Commercial Employment Accident Insurance Funds (Berufsgenossenschaften) in Germany. We use data from the German Federation of institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention (HVBG) for 1999 to 2004. Large Berufsgenossenschaften (BGs) have lower administration and management costs per insured person. However, costs per insured person are negatively correlated with insured risk of the BGs which in turn is an important source of administration and management costs.Results of a multivariate regression analysis help to identify cost drivers and the existence of economies of scale. Notifiable accidents, occupational diseases and risk explain administration and management costs. All estimation results are highly significant and allow to conclude that remarkable economies of scale are likely to be present in the organization of the BGs. Our results are robust to alternative specifications. Also, risk turns out to be an important cost driver with regard to management costs.A hypothetical policy reform is considered that reduces the number of BGs from formerly 35 to 18. We come up with an estimate of expected cost savings (without cutting benefits) of 83 million euros, about 10 % of the current management costs of the BGs under consideration.     

Can the small dairy farm remain competitive in US agriculture?

Smaller dairy farms in the US are observed to have higher costs than larger farms, and whether those higher costs are due to technology or inefficiency has implications for policy to address the small farm. If high cost of production on smaller farms is due to a higher cost frontier, then to make small farms competitive would require research to devise and design technology that is suitable for small farms. If instead high cost is due to inefficiency, then educational approaches are needed to ensure small dairy farms use technology efficiently. To determine the cause of higher costs on small farms, the cost of milk production by farm size was decomposed into frontier and efficiency components with a stochastic cost curve using data on USA dairy farms. Although the frontier cost of production decreases with farm size, that cost reduction is not as pronounced as a cost curve that includes inefficiency. The higher cost of production on many smaller farms is caused by inefficiency rather than technology.     

An econometric study on the relationship between unemployment and vacancies in the United Kingdom

Zusammenfassung Eine ?konometrische Studie über die Beziehung zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und offenen Stellen im Vereinigten K?nigreich. — Dieser Aufsatz soll zeigen, da\ die stabile Beziehung zwischen echter Arbeitslosigkeit und echten offenen Stellen seit 1966 unterbrochen ist. Au\erdem sollen die Faktoren untersucht werden, die die Beziehung zwischen echter Arbeitslosigkeit und echten offenen Stellen bestimmen, wobei einerseits ein ?konometrisches Modell, das auf nichtbeobachtbare Variable besonders eingeht, und andererseits eine neoklassische Theorie der überschu\nachfrage herangezogen wird. Die allgemeine Hypothese in diesem Artikel lautet, da\ sowohl die echte als auch die registrierte oder gemessene H?he der Arbeitslosigkeit infolge verschiedener Gesetze und/oder des Rückgangs der wirtschaftlichen Aktivit?t angestiegen ist. Anschlie\end werden zwei weitere Modelle konstruiert, um die Rolle der Nachfrage- und Angebotsfaktoren zu analysieren.

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Résumé Une étude économétrique sur la relation entre le ch?mage et les vacances en Royaume-Uni. — Le but de cet article est de démontrer que la relation stable entre le vrai ch?mage et les vrais vacances a croulé depuis 1966 et d’analyser les facteurs qui déterminent les relations entre le vrai ch?mage et les vrais vacances en appliquant séparément des modèles économétriques avec des variables inobservables et une théorie néoclassique de la demande d’excès. Notre hypothèse générale est que le montant du vrai ch?mage et le montant du ch?mage régistré ou mesuré augmentaient comme conséquence de la législation gouvernementale et/ou de la baisse de l’activité économique. Finalement, l’auteur construit deux modèles de plus pour analyser le r?le des facteurs de demande et d’offre.

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Resumen Un estudio econométrico sobre la relación entre empleo y vacantes en el Reino Unido. — Los objetivos de este artículo son mostrar que la relación estable entre desempleo verdadero y vacantes verdaderas se ha quebrado a partir de 1966 y también analizar los factores subyacentes a las relaciones de desempleo verdadero y vacantes verdaderas separadamente, usando modelos econométricos con variables no observables y una teoría neoclásica de exceso de demanda. Nuestra hipótesis general es que tanto la cantidad verdadera de desempleo y el desempleo registrado o medido creció como consecuencia de la legislación gubernamental y/o la declinación en la actividad económica. Finalmente, formulamos dos modelos adicionales para analizar el rol de factores de demanda y oferta.

     

Impact of off-farm labor supply on food expenditures of the farm household

Farm households diversify their income sources by working off the farm. This is a risk management strategy that is used by farm households in both developed and developing countries. Income diversification via off-farm work is associated with higher incomes and food consumption. However, little is known about the association between off-farm work and farm household food expenditures. In an effort to bridge this gap, this study attempts to assess the impact of off-farm work decisions by the operator and/or the spouse on the food expenditures of the farm household. Using a nationwide farm household survey in the United States and new econometric method, we find that the decisions of the operator and/or the spouse to work off the farm are significantly interrelated (29%). However, these two decisions affect food expenditures in different ways. The operator’s off-farm work decision is positively related to food expenditures, while the spouse’s decision is negatively associated with expenditures on food by the farm household.     

Does accounting conservatism deter short sellers?

Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting - We examine the impact of the corporate information environment on short selling by testing the relationship between short interest and accounting...