Report
Patrick Artus

Does potential GDP cause GDP or does GDP cause potential GDP?

In the traditional approach, potential GDP causes GDP: in the long run, the unemployment rate converges towards the level of the structural unemployment rate and GDP converges towards potential GDP, which depends exogenously on demographics and technological progress. But we can imagine the reverse causality: from GDP to potential GDP. If growth is strong, people are encouraged to return to the labour market and the labour market grows faster; companies are encouraged to become more efficient so as to be able to produce more and productivity gains increase faster, resulting in a causality from GDP to potential GDP. This reverse causality would provide a very strong argument to stimulate demand. Causality tests carried out on the cases of the United States and the euro zone show that the causality goes from GDP to potential GDP: it is indeed the “reverse” causality that is present .
Provider
Natixis
Natixis

Based across the world’s leading financial centers, Natixis CIB Research offers an integrated view of the markets. The team provides support to inform Natixis clients’ investment and hedging decisions across all asset classes.

 

Analysts
Patrick Artus

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Benito Berber
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