In this paper I add to the evidence on possible nonlinearities in the conduct of ECB monetary policy. For this purpose a nonlinear Taylor rule (threshold regression) was estimated and compared to a linear benchmark model. The estimation was carried out with output gap data computed from...

This paper attempts to examine empirically the dynamic relationship between inflation, growth and interest rate under the presence of informal economy by employing panel VAR techniques over the period from 1960-Q1 to 2010-Q4. The size of the informal economy is quarterly estimated to uncover the...

This paper is an attempt to determine whether crime as an environmental factor has a significant impact on merchant preference for cash. I exploit a unique database from a representative sample of merchants and show that crime has a twofold impact on the merchant subjective preference for cash....

This paper applies univariate unit root tests to annual data of 26 countries to examine the stationary properties of hours worked over the period 1950-2010. To this end, both conventional unit root tests and recent unit root tests allowing for structural breaks and nonlinearities in data...

This paper investigates the design of optimal monetary policy in a currency union with asymmetric national labor markets. For this purpose a stylized theoretical two-country model is introduced where the occurrence of inflation differentials is a reflection of asymmetries in the labor market...

This paper re-examines the association of country-specific macroeconomic fundamentals and sovereign risk. Our analysis focuses on 26 countries, including both developed and emerging economies, during the period 2000-2009. For both groups, while inflation and twin deficits are associated with...

The Mediterranean is one of the areas the most exposed to climate change. Setting up measures of prevention and adaptation is a priority for the region, to reduce climate costs. The aim of this paper is to highlight the economic losses already incurred by the Mediterranean countries due to...

This note modifies Lagos – Wright (2005) by adding subsidies to sellers. We show that this modification can result in a Pareto efficient allocation at the Friedman rule when buyers do not have all the bargaining power. We find that the optimal rate of subsidy is increasing in buyers'...

This paper revisits the effect of globalization on the output-inflation trade-off, using a new data set of 1114 sacrifice and benefice ratios for a large cross-section of 118 countries over the time period 1966−2007, which is calculated following the approach of Jordan (1997). In line with...

In the first empirical study on how financial reforms have been instrumental in mitigating inequality through financial sector competition, we contribute at the same time to the macroeconomic literature on measuring financial development and respond to the growing field of economic development...