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Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title More international evidence on the historical properties of business cycles
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Brian A'Hearn
  • Ulrich Woitek
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title Journal of Monetary Economics
Publisher Elsevier
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 0304-3932
Volume 47
Number 2
Page Range 321 - 346
Date 2001
Abstract Text This paper establishes stylized facts about business cycles in the late 19th century, using spectral analysis techniques which allow an intuitive description and analysis of cyclical structure in economic fluctuations. Analysis of industrial production data for 13 countries permits the following generalizations. In the advanced North Atlantic economies, a fairly regular long cycle with a periodicity of 7–10 years is identified in all countries. This component explains a substantial fraction of overall variation in industrial production. There is some evidence of a less regular, less powerful short cycle of 3–5 years duration. In peripheral economies experience is varied, but it is more often the short cycle that exercises greater influence. The long cycle component is shown to be highly correlated among the core economies, much less so between core and peripheral economies, and least of all among peripheral economies. The long cycle is more highly correlated among countries with important trading ties and those on a metallic monetary standard throughout the period.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1016/S0304-3932(01)00045-9
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