Finance and Economics Discussion Series (FEDS)
December 2024
Measuring the Euro Area Output Gap
Matteo Barigozzi, Claudio Lissona, and Matteo Luciani
Abstract:
We measure the Euro Area (EA) output gap and potential output using a non-stationary dynamic factor model estimated on a large dataset of macroeconomic and financial variables. From 2012 to 2023, we estimate that the EA economy was tighter than the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund estimate, suggesting that the slow EA growth is the result of a potential output issue, not a business cycle issue. Moreover, we find that credit indicators are crucial for pinning down the output gap, as excluding them leads to estimating a lower output gap in periods of debt build-up and a higher gap in periods of deleveraging.
Keywords: Non-stationary Approximate Dynamic Factor Model, Output gap, Potential output, Trend-Cycle Decomposition
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2024.099
PDF: Full Paper
Disclaimer: The economic research that is linked from this page represents the views of the authors and does not indicate concurrence either by other members of the Board's staff or by the Board of Governors. The economic research and their conclusions are often preliminary and are circulated to stimulate discussion and critical comment. The Board values having a staff that conducts research on a wide range of economic topics and that explores a diverse array of perspectives on those topics. The resulting conversations in academia, the economic policy community, and the broader public are important to sharpening our collective thinking.