This paper applies the recently developed maximum-likelihood-panel cointegration method of Larsson and Lyhagen (2007) to test the strong PPP hypothesis during the recent ‡oat period on data for the G7 countries. This method is robust in several important dimensions relative to previous methods,...

The effect of the single currency on the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) hypothesis is examined in this study for the 15 EU countries, vis a vis the US dollar, before and after the advent of the euro. Standard as well as nonlinear unit root tests are employed on the time series dimension. Unit...

The stationarity of OECD real exchange rates over the period 1972-2008 is tested using a panel of twenty six member countries. The methodology followed stems from the need to meet several key concerns: (i) the identification of which panel members are stationary; (ii) the presence of...

This paper analyses the role of banks in financing SMEs in Britain and Germany. It applies a sociological institutionalist approach to understand how banks construct and manage risk, relating to SME business. The empirical analysis is based on the results of a comparative survey of a sample of...

We analyse the consequences of starting a wage subsidised job, marginal employment, for unemployed workers. Marginal employment is a type of wage subsidy paid to unemployed workers and they do not lose their unemployment benefits if the wage is below a certain threshold. We ask if the unemployed...

Das institutionelle Arrangement eines Landes ist zu einer Standortfrage und zu einer Frage der langfristigen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit einer Ökonomie geworden . Ein stabiles und günstiges makroökonomisches Umfeld ist eine wesentliche Voraussetzung für erfolgreiche wirtschaftliche Tätigkeit von...