Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T08:07:04.384Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Markets Integration and Macroeconomic Dispersion in a Monetary Union*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2016

Get access

Summary

Using a two–country DGSE combining nominal rigidities and financial frictions, we show that the persistence of output and inflation asymmetries observed since 1999 in an increasingly integrated EMU is not necessarily puzzling. Only the integration of intermediate goods markets unambiguously leads to a reduction of asymmetries while the integration of finals goods markets and the integration of financial markets increase the dispersion of inflation rates and business cycles. The result builds on the intensive use of financial markets, i.e. the current account, to adjust externally and smooth the consequences of asymmetric shocks. This mechanism implies a disconnection of country-level outputs and/or inflation rates to ensure that agents return to their initial asset position in the long run.

Résumé

Résumé

A l'aide d'un modèle d'équilibre général combinant rigidités nominales et imperfections financières, on montre que la persistance d'hétérogénéités conjoncturelles observée dans l'UEM depuis 1999 en dépit d'une meilleure intégration des marchés n'est nécessairement paradoxale. Selon nos résultats, seule une meilleure intégration des processus productifs réduit significativement la dispersion des cycles ou des taux d'inflation. Une meilleure intégration du marché des biens et services ou des marchés financiers conduit les économies à s'ajuster plus fortement par le biais du compte courant suite à des chocs asymétriques. Ce mécanisme est susceptible d'accroître la dispersion des cycles et des taux d'inflation entre pays membres pour leur permettre de respecter leur contrainte budgétaire intertemporelle.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de recherches économiques et sociales 2010 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

**

GATE, UMR CNRS 5824, Université de Lyon and Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 15 Parvis René Descartes, BP 7000, 69342 Lyon Cedex, France. Email: [email protected]

***

CREM, UMR CNRS 6211, Université de Rennes 1 and Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, 7 place Hoche, 35065 Rennes Cedex, France. Email: [email protected].

*

We would like to thank the editor, two anomynous referees, James Anderson, and Stephane Auray for insightful comments and suggestions.

References

Angeloni, I., Aucremanne, L., Ehrmann, M., Galí, J. & Levin, A., F. S. (2006), “New Evidence on Inflation Persistence and Prices Stickiness : Implications for Macro Modelling”, Journal of the European Economic Association, Vol. 4, N°2–3, pp. 562574.Google Scholar
Backus, D.K., Kehoe, P.J. & Kydland, F.E. (1993), “International Real Business Cycles: Theory vs. Evidence”, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Quarterly Review, Vol. 17, pp. 1429.Google Scholar
Baldwin, R. (2006), “The Euro's Trade Effects”, ECB Working Paper N°594.Google Scholar
Beetsma, R.M.W.J. & Jensen, H. (2005), “Monetary and Fiscal Policy Interactions in a Micro-founded Model of Monetary Union”, Journal of International Economics, Vol. 67, N°2, pp. 320352.Google Scholar
Benigno, P. (2004), “Optimal Monetary Policy in a Currency Area”, Journal of Inter-national Economics, Vol. 63, N°2, pp. 293320.Google Scholar
Benigno, P. & Woodford, M. (2005), “Inflation Stabilization ans Welfare: The Case of a Distorted Steady State”, Journal of the European Economic Association, Vol. 3, N°6, pp.11851236.Google Scholar
Bergin, P.R., Shin, H.-C. & Tchakarov, I. (2007), “Does Exchange Rate Variability Matter for Welfare? A Quantitative Investigation of Stabilization Policies”, European Economic Review, Vol. 51, N°4, pp. 10411058.Google Scholar
Blanchard, O.J. & Giavazzi, F. (2002), “Current Account Deficits in the Euro Area: The End of the Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle?”, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Vol. 33, N°2002–2, pp. 147186.Google Scholar
Calvo, G. (1983), “Staggered Prices in a Utility-maximizing Framework”, Journal of Monetary Economics, Vol. 12, N°3, pp. 383398.Google Scholar
Camacho, M., Perez-Quiros, G., & Saiz, L. (2006), “Are European Business Cycles Close Enough to Be Just One?”, Journal of Economics Dynamics and Control, Vol. 30, N°9–10, pp. 16871706.Google Scholar
Canzoneri, M., Cumby, R. & Diba, A. (2007), “The Cost of Nominal Inertia in NNS Models”, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol. 39, N°7, pp. 15631586.Google Scholar
Coeurdacier, N. (2008), “Do Trade Costs in Goods Market Lead to Home Bias in Equities?”, Journal of International Economics, Vol. 77, N°l, pp 86100.Google Scholar
Corsetti, G. (2006), “Openness and the Case for Flexible Exchange Rates”, Research in Economics, Vol. 60, N°l, pp. 121.Google Scholar
De Grauwe, P. & Mongelli, F.P. (2005), “Endogeneities of Optimum Currency Areas: What Brings Countries Sharing a Single Currency Closer Together?”, ECB Working Paper N°468.Google Scholar
Delias, H. & Tavlas, G. (2005), “Wage Rigidity and Monetary Union”, Economic Journal, Vol. 115, N°506, pp. 907927.Google Scholar
Hairault, J.-O. (2002), “Labor-market Search and International Business Cycles”, Review of Economic Dynamics, Vol. 5, N°3, pp. 535558.Google Scholar
Honohan, P. & Lane, P.R. (2003), “Divergent Inflation Rates in EMU”, Economic Policy, Vol 18, N°37, pp. 357394.Google Scholar
Lane, P.R. (2006), “The Real Effects of the Euro”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 20, N°4, pp. 4766.Google Scholar
Monacelli, T. & Perotti, R. (2009), “Fiscal Policy, the Real Exchange Rate, and Traded Goods”, Economic Journal, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Obstfeld, M. & Rogoff, K. (2000), The Six Major Puzzles in International Macro-economics: Is there a Common Cause?, in Bernanke, B. & Rogoff, K. eds, NBER Macroeconomics manual 2000.Google Scholar
Schmitt-Grohé, S. & Uribe, M. (2003), “Closing Small Open Economy Models”, Journal of International Economics, Vol. 61, N°l, pp. 163185.Google Scholar