Can structural reforms help Europe?

"Structural reforms that increase competition in product and labor markets are often indicated as the main policy option available for peripheral Europe to regain competitiveness and boost output. We show that, in a crisis that pushes the nominal interest rate to its lower bound, these reforms...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: USA. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Institution:ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
Format: TEXT
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC 2013
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19122009124919402819-Can-structural-reforms-help-eu.htm
Description
Summary:"Structural reforms that increase competition in product and labor markets are often indicated as the main policy option available for peripheral Europe to regain competitiveness and boost output. We show that, in a crisis that pushes the nominal interest rate to its lower bound, these reforms do not support economic activity in the short run, and may well be contractionary. Absent the appropriate monetary stimulus, reforms fuel expectations of prolonged deation, increase the real interest rate, and depress aggregate demand. Our findings carry important implications for the current debate on the timing and the design of structural reforms in Europe."
Physical Description:49 p.
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