Forecasting performance of private sector’s unemployment forecasts in advanced economies

This paper provides a full characterization of unemployment rate forecasts using the mean values from Consensus Economics for a sample of nine advanced economies between 1989 and 2012. It also assesses the performance of unemployment rate forecasts around business cycles’ turning points. We find evidence for biasedness, inefficiency or information rigidities and lack of accuracy of unemployment rate forecasts and the distribution of projection errors appears to be slightly twisted to over-prediction (which decreases during recession episodes). Additionally, there is a sense of ‘pessimism’ among forecasters during recovery periods.     

The effect of science and technology parks on firms’ performance: how can firms benefit most under economic downturns?

The objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of the economic recession on the performance of firms located in science or technological parks. Compared to off-park firms, we propose that under an economic crisis park benefits are more noticeable, since firms located inside parks have less resource restraints and access to external sources of information and knowledge. Moreover, we observe that as firms invest on internal R&D, they tend to reinforce these park benefits. Empirical evidence gathered data on employment and sales from 2007 to 2012 for the group of firms which participated in the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel. The results confirm the positive role played by science and technology park locations under economic downturn environments, especially when firms investing in internal R&D.     

发达国家老工业基地调整与改造的借鉴与启示

分析发达国家老工业基地衰退的原因,借鉴其成功经验,提出对我国东北老工业基地振兴的启示.     

论当前世界经济形势

从去年下半年开始,由美国经济带头,世界经济总体来说是从疲软转入衰退。9．11恐惧袭击事件起了雪上加霜的作用。由于美国、欧洲和日本三家同时陷入经济不景气的局面,其辐射能力不容低估。东亚不少出口导向型的经济体大受影响,但中国大陆仍能保持较高增长速度。处境困难的台湾企业界希望加强台湾两岸经济关系的趋势在进一步发展。     

Crude oil price volatility dynamics and the great recession

Using a very simple econometric framework, we identify two major changes in the dynamics of crude oil price volatility based on data from 1997 to 2017. More precisely, we model weekly West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price realized volatility in a two-regime setting, one where realized volatility evolves as a plain autoregressive (AR) process (static), and the other where the level, persistence and innovation volatility of the AR process are subject to changes (dynamic). We use a Markov chain to model the probability that the process is in the static regime. The post Great Recession period sees a longer duration of the dynamic regime as well as smaller changes in the level and conditional volatility of realized volatility when switching actually occurs. Crude oil volatility also responds more aggressively to changes in economic variables, such as the t-bill rate and equity market volatility in the dynamic regime.     

Investment Decisions in Anticipation of Recessions and Outperformance of Pre-Acting Firms

We empirically examine whether firms make investment decisions in anticipation of recessions and subsequently perform better. Using a large quarterly dataset of fixed asset investments for U.S. firms during 1984–2012, we show that not all firms efficiently adjust their investment decisions in anticipation of a recession. However, we find that pre-acting firms that properly adjust their investment decisions (i.e., underinvest) before a recession outperform re-acting firms that fail to make proper investment decisions (i.e., overinvest) before a recession in subsequent returns on assets, returns on investments, and market-adjusted return measures.     

全球贸易衰退、价值链重构及中国出口价值链升级研究

2008年国际金融危机爆发后,全球贸易和价值链分工位次发生了明显的变化。发达经济体国内价值链出现收缩,发展中经济体国内价值链出现延伸,全球贸易一改之前的长期增长态势,转而出现了衰退。与此同时,新兴经济力量的崛起、贸易增加值分布格局的改变、微笑曲线的变化及全球价值链的本地化区域化收缩,都推动着全球价值链的重构。虽然全球贸易衰退会严重影响中国出口贸易转型升级,但全球价值链重构有助于中国企业打破低端锁定局面。在此背景下,应积极引导中国企业从低端锁定转向锁定高端,加快构建自贸区网络以推动中国贸易向边境内深化,并借助"一带一路"平台加快构建中国主导的全球价值链网络,从而实现中国出口价值链升级。     

Assessing the Temporary VAT Cut Policy in the UK*

This paper concerns the likely impact of a temporary VAT cut stimulus policy on consumer demand in the UK. It suggests that around 75 per cent of the VAT reduction will be passed on to consumers and that consumers will react by maintaining their expenditure levels and therefore increasing their demand for consumption goods. The uncertainty caused by the downturn makes this a more muted impact than we might have hoped, especially on the demand for durable goods. Nevertheless, it is a substantive impact. In general, the uncertainty caused by the recession will tend to reduce the impact of any stimulus package. It is also argued that synchronising the subsequent rise with the economic upturn is critical.     

1998年中国反衰退措施效果研究

对1998年反衰退措施效果的研究表明:(1)由于政府预算规模过小,地方政府必须保持平衡预算且不能借贷等原因,财政自动稳定器对1999年经济复苏所做出的贡献微不足道;(2)在相机抉择政策方面,1998年的财政政策不具备扩张的特征,难以构成经济复苏的推动力。这一发现对于当前反衰退经济政策的制定和未来财政体制的改革都具有重要意义。     

Credit constraints and R&D over the boom and bust: Firm-level evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

This paper studies the effect of credit constraints on R&D over the recent boom and bust episode in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). Given that financial and venture capital markets in CEECs are thin in comparison to those in high-income economies, it is proposed that credit constraints have a significant adverse effect on R&D activity in these countries. The paper uses three waves of Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) data between 2005 and 2013 on manufacturing firms from ten CEECs. We find that credit constraints have a substantial effect on R&D engagement, as the probability of credit constrained firms undertaking R&D activities is around 30 % lower than for other firms. The adverse effect of credit constraints for R&D emerges during the years of fast economic growth.