Defining a recessionary event as one which impacts adversely on individuals' economic well-being, the paper argues that recession is a multi-faceted phenomenon whose meaning differs from person to person as it impacts on their decision-making in real time. It argues that recession is best...

An output gap measure is suggested based on the Beveridge-Nelson decomposition of output using a vector-autoregressive model that includes data on actual output and on expected output obtained from surveys. The paper explains the advantages of using survey data in business cycle analysis and the...

We employ recently developed panel data methods to estimate a model of private investment under financial restraints for 20 developing countries using annual data for 1972-2000. We show that the qualitative nature of the results varies depending on whether we take into account cross-country...