Why is it that, even with zero growth, the euro zone is showing neither insufficient demand nor rising unemployment?
Year-on-year growth in the euro zone was more or less zero in 2023. As a result, we would expect to see a return to insufficient demand and a rise in the unemployment rate. However, neither is being observed. Why? The explanation is simple: labour productivity fell in the euro zone in 2023 , with the result that: Potential growth is only slightly higher than actual growth; Employment continues to grow, preventing unemployment from rising.