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Business and Economics > Production and Operations Management

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 55 items for :

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Cover IMF Working Papers
Too Low for Too Long: Could Extended Periods of Ultra Easy Monetary Policy Have Harmful Effects?
Mr. Etibar Jafarov
and
Enrico Minnella
Extended periods of ultra-easy monetary policy in advanced economies have rekindled debates about the zombification of weak companies and its impact on resource allocation, economic growth, inflation, and financial stability. Using both firm-level and macroeconomic data, we find that recessions are a critical factor in the rapid increase in the number of zombie firms. Expansionary monetary policy can help reduce zombification when interest rates are at the zero lower bound (ZBL), but a too-accommodative monetary policy for extended periods is associated with a higher probability of zombification. Small and medium enterprises are more likely to become zombie firms. This raises concerns about the sustainability of too-easy monetary policy implementation, especially in countries where growth is lackluster. Our findings imply a tradeoff between conducting a countercyclical monetary policy, which also helps contain the increase in the number of zombie firms in cyclical downturns, and using an expansionary monetary policy for long periods, which may lead to a combination of low interest rates, low growth, and high financial vulnerability. Such a tradeoff is not a concern currently when most countries are tightening their monetary policy stance, but policymakers should be mindful of it during future recessions.
Keywords:
Too Low for Too Long; Zombie Firms; Financial Stability; zombie firm; countercyclical monetary policy; monetary policy stance; sectoral zombie share; share of zombie; Economic recession; Output gap; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Monetary expansion; Unconventional monetary policies; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Fear Economy: A Theory of Output, Interest, and Safe Assets
Ruchir Agarwal
This paper presents a fear theory of the economy, based on the interplay between fear of rare disasters and the interest rate on safe assets. To do this, I study the macroeconomic consequences of government-administered interest rates in the neoclassical real business cycle model. When the government has the power to fix the safe real interest rate, the gap between the `sticky real safe rate' and the `neutral rate' can generate far-reaching aggregate distortions. When fear exogenously rises, the demand for safe assets rise and the neutral rate falls. If the central bank does not lower the safe rate by the same amount, savings rise leading to a decline in consumption and aggregate demand. The same mechanism works in reverse, when fear falls. Quantitatively, I show that a single fear factor can simultaneously (i) generate cross-correlations in output, labor, consumption, and investment consistent with the postwar US economy; and (ii) generates variation in equity prices, bond prices, and a large risk premium in line with the asset pricing data. Six novel insights emerge from the model: (1) actively regulating the safe interest rate (in both directions) can mitigate the fluctuations generated by fear cycles; (2) recessions will be deeper and longer when central banks accept the zero lower bound and are unwilling to use negative rates; (3) a commitment to use negative rates in recessions—even if never implemented—raises both the short- and long-run real neutral rates, and moderates the business cycle; (4) counter-cyclical fiscal policy can act as disaster insurance and be expansionary by reducing fear; (5) quantitative easing can be narrowly effective only when fear is high at the lower bound; and (6) when fear is high, especially at the lower bound, policies that boost productivity also help fight recessions.
Keywords:
fear; business cycles; interest; safe assets; fear economy; government-administered interest rates; fear theory; business cycle model; fear factor; Output gap; Consumption; Zero lower bound; Interest rate floor; Yield curve; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Portugal: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This Selected Issues paper on Portugal focuses on how could the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic affect firm productivity and the speed of the recovery. The pandemic eroded equity positions of Portuguese firms with varying impacts across firms’ size and sectors. The authorities’ swift policy response went a long way in addressing immediate liquidity shortages. The pandemic, however, has left a large share of Portuguese corporates with a debt overhang and at risk of insolvency. Our estimates suggest that the share of zombie firms has risen from about 1 percent prior to the pandemic to 4 percent. The Banco Portuguese de Fomento managed recapitalization scheme—Strategic Recapitalization and Consolidar Programs—have many promising features but may need augmentation and enhanced incentive structures. Broad-based economic recovery underpinned by structural reforms would help spur firm dynamism, productivity growth, and strengthen financial health metrics. Continued strong growth would bolster the operational environment across the spectrum and help reduce balance sheets vulnerabilities. Nonetheless, past crisis recoveries reveal that zombie firms chip away at aggregate productivity, irrespective of the performance of non-zombie incumbents, thereby congesting reallocation. Strong restructuring and insolvency regimes would facilitate effective reorganization and exit of business and optimizing resource reallocation without overwhelming the financial system.
Keywords:
carbon pricing reform; tourism sector; outlook implication; assessing impact; carbon pricing scheme; Greenhouse gas emissions; Carbon tax; Natural disasters; Climate change; Global; Europe; Southern Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
An Evaluation of World Economic Outlook Growth Forecasts, 2004–17
Oya Celasun
,
Jungjin Lee
,
Mr. Mico Mrkaic
, and
Mr. Allan Timmermann
This paper examines the performance of World Economic Outlook (WEO) growth forecasts for 2004-17. Short-term real GDP growth forecasts over that period exhibit little bias, and their accuracy is broadly similar to those of Consensus Economics forecasts. By contrast, two- to five-year ahead WEO growth forecasts in 2004-17 tend to be upward biased, and in up to half of countries less accurate than a naïve forecast given by the average growth rate in the recent past. The analysis suggests that a more efficient use of available information on internal and external factors—such as the estimated output gap, projected terms of trade, and the growth forecasts of major trading partners—can improve the accuracy of some economies’ growth forecasts.
Keywords:
Forecasting; forecasting bias and efficiency; WEO growth forecast; forecasting bias; Consensus Economics forecast; World Economic Outlook growth; forecast error; Emerging and frontier financial markets; Terms of trade; GDP forecasting; Output gap; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Caribbean; Middle East; North Africa; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
After-Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospects for Medium-Term Economic Damage
Mr. Philip Barrett
,
Miss Sonali Das
,
Giacomo Magistretti
,
Evgenia Pugacheva
, and
Mr. Philippe Wingender
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a severe global recession with differential impacts within and across countries. This paper examines the possible persistent effects (scarring) of the pandemic on the economy and the channels through which they may occur. History suggests that deep recessions often leave long-lived scars, particularly to productivity. Importantly, financial instabilities—typically associated with worse scarring—have been largely avoided in the current crisis so far. While medium-term output losses are anticipated to be lower than after the global financial crisis, they are still expected to be substantial. The degree of expected scarring varies across countries, depending on the structure of economies and the size of the policy response. Emerging market and developing economies are expected to suffer more scarring than advanced economies.
Keywords:
output loss; long-lived scar; after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; financial crisis recession; recession type; Economic recession; COVID-19; Total factor productivity; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Financial Crises, Investment Slumps, and Slow Recoveries
Ms. Valerie Cerra
,
Mai Hakamada
, and
Mr. Ruy Lama
One of the most puzzling facts in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) is that output across advanced and emerging economies recovered at a much slower rate than anticipated by most forecasting agencies. This paper delves into the mechanics behind the observed slow recovery and the associated permanent output losses in the aftermath of the crisis, with a particular focus on the role played by financial frictions and investment dynamics. The paper provides two main contributions. First, we empirically document that lower investment during financial crises is the key factor leading to permanent loss of output and total factor productivity (TFP) in the wake of a crisis. Second, we develop a DSGE model with financial frictions and capital-embodied technological change capable of reproducing the empirical facts. We also evaluate the role of financial policies in stabilizing output and TFP in response to disruptions in financial markets.
Keywords:
Medium-term TFP loss; impulse response; investment dynamics; hysteresis effect; aftermath of a financial crises; Total factor productivity; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Banking crises; Self-employment; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
What's in the R- Stars for Korea?
Mr. Sohrab Rafiq
Korea’s stars tell of an economy saddled with a real neutral rate (r-star) that has declined significantly in recent decades and is currently below zero. This reflects a significant decline in trend growth, and two large financial crises that triggered significant shifts in the saving-investment balance. Larger fiscal deficits and frothy financial conditions since 2012 have helped offset rising demand for safer assets, preventing the neutral rate from falling further. Nonetheless, the fall in the neutral rate, coupled with its effects on asset returns, has complicated the task of monetary policy stabilization. Korea’s neutral rate is likely to remain low over the medium-term and could fall further, reflecting a structural savings-investment imbalance owing to declining productivity and a rotation in demographics increasing the demand for precautionary saving and convenience yield, and widening the capital risk premia. The COVID pandemic risks magnifying these trends.
Keywords:
Neutral Rate; Risk Premia; Convenience; Demographics; Savings; savings-investment imbalance; author's email; Korea rate expectations decomposition; real rate of interest; Real interest rates; Output gap; Inflation; Return on investment; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Small and Vulnerable: Small Firm Productivity in the Great Productivity Slowdown
Sophia Chen
and
Dongyeol Lee
We provide broad-based evidence of a firm size premium of total factor productivity (TFP) growth in Europe after the Global Financial Crisis. The TFP growth of smaller firms was more adversely affected and diverged from their larger counterparts after the crisis. The impact was progressively larger for medium, small, and micro firms relative to large firms. It was also disproportionally larger for firms with limited credit market access. Moreover, smaller firms were less likely to have access to safer banks: those that were better capitalized banks and with a presence in the credit default swap market. Horseraces suggest that firm size may be a more important and robust vulnerability indicator than balance sheet characteristics. Our results imply that the tightening of credit market conditions during the crisis, coupled with limited credit market access especially among micro, small, and medium firms, may have contributed to the large and persistent drop in aggregate TFP.
Keywords:
Credit constraint; Financial crisis; Firm size; Intangibles; Producvitity; SMEs; WP; TFP growth; creditor bank; size premium; credit market access; micro firm; vulnerability indicator
Cover IMF Working Papers
It is Only Natural: Europe’s Low Interest Rates
Mr. Marco Arena
,
Gabriel Di Bella
,
Mr. Alfredo Cuevas
,
Mr. Borja Gracia
,
Vina Nguyen
, and
Alex Pienkowski
Estimates of the natural interest rate are often useful in the analysis of monetary and other macroeconomic policies. The topic gathered much attention following the great financial crisis and the Euro Area debt crisis due to the uncertainty regarding the timing of monetary policy normalization and the future path of interest rates. Using a sample of European countries (including several members of the Euro Area), this paper provides estimates of country-specific natural interest rates and some of their drivers between 2000 and 2019. In line with the literature, our findings suggest that natural interest rates declined during this period, and despite a rebound in the last few years of it, they have not recovered to their pre-crisis levels. The paper also discusses the implications of the decline in natural interest rates for monetary conditions and debt sustainability.
Keywords:
WP; monetary policy; math display; fiscal policy; policy rate; country risk; risk premium; central bank; shadow rate; reserve currency; Real interest rates; Output gap; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Central bank policy rate; Europe; Global; Natural interest rate; Neutral interest rate; debt sustainability; Bayesian estimation; T-bill rate; market data; monetary policy stance
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Global Economic Recovery 10 Years After the 2008 Financial Crisis
Ms. Wenjie Chen
,
Mr. Mico Mrkaic
, and
Mr. Malhar S Nabar
This paper takes stock of the global economic recovery a decade after the 2008 financial crisis. Output losses after the crisis appear to be persistent, irrespective of whether a country suffered a banking crisis in 2007–08. Sluggish investment was a key channel through which these losses registered, accompanied by long-lasting capital and total factor productivity shortfalls relative to precrisis trends. Policy choices preceding the crisis and in its immediate aftermath influenced postcrisis variation in output. Underscoring the importance of macroprudential policies and effective supervision, countries with greater financial vulnerabilities in the precrisis years suffered larger output losses after the crisis. Countries with stronger precrisis fiscal positions and those with more flexible exchange rate regimes experienced smaller losses. Unprecedented and exceptional policy actions taken after the crisis helped mitigate countries’ postcrisis output losses.
Keywords:
WP; crisis; economy; banking crisis; crisis trend; financial crisis; GDP trend; output deviations; employment deviations; output deviation; output performance; monetary policy action; total factor productivity; credit growth; Banking crises; Total factor productivity; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Emerging and frontier financial markets; Global