This paper views movements in unemployment as the result of the interaction between: (a) lags in labour market … decisions; and (b) labour market shocks with temporary and permanent components. Two features of unemployment dynamics are … examined: (i) `unemployment persistence', arising when temporary shocks have persistent effects on unemployment; and (ii …

This paper evaluates two theories of unemployment: the natural rate theory (whereby unemployment is depicted as … fluctuating around a reasonably stable natural rate) and the chain reaction theory (which views movements in unemployment as the … unemployment not only in the short run, but in the long run as well. The reason is that, in the presence of growing exogenous …

This paper attempts to explain disparities among the unemployment experiences of different OECD countries in terms of … the `fragility' of the short-run unemployment equilibrium (the impact of labour market shocks on the short …-run unemployment rate) and the lag structure of the employment determination, wage setting, and labour force participation decisions …

We explore the far-reaching implications of replacing current unemployment benefit (UB) systems by an unemployment … balances in these accounts are available to them during periods of unemployment. The government is able to undertake balanced … model for the high unemployment countries of Europe. Our results suggest that this policy reform would significantly change …

This Paper presents a reappraisal of unemployment movements in the European Union. Our analysis is based on the chain … reaction theory of unemployment, which focuses on (a) the interaction among labour market adjustment processes, (b) the … unemployment responses to each shock. Our analysis permits us to distinguish between the short- and long-run effects of the shocks …

This paper explores the two common concepts of the natural rate of unemployment: (i) the stable, long-run equilibrium … rate of unemployment; and (ii) the equilibrium unemployment rate at which there is no tendency for this rate to change … towards which the equilibrium unemployment rate tends with the passage of time). Specifically, it is not a reference point in …