Comparative advantage and the cross-section of business cycles
By: Aart Kraay [and] Jaume Ventura
Contributors: Ventura, Jaume; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Economics
Edition: Rev.
Series: Working paper series / Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics -- working paper 98-09 Revised; Working paper (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Economics) -- no. 98-09.
Publisher: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 52
Description: Business cycles are both less volatile and more synchronized with the world cycle in rich countries than in poor ones. We develop two alternative explanations based on the idea that comparative advantage causes rich countries to specialize in industries that use new technologies operated by skilled workers, while poor countries specialize in industries that use traditional technologies operated by unskilled workers. Since new technologies are difficult to imitate, the industries of rich countries enjoy more market power and face more inelastic product demands than those of poor countries. Since skilled workers are less likely to exit employment as a result of changes in economic conditions, industries in rich countries face more inelastic labour supplies than those of poor countries. We show that either asymmetry in industry characteristics can generate cross-country differences in business cycles that resemble those we observe in the data. Keywords: International Capital Flows, Sovereigned risk, Country Portfolios. JEL Classification: F32, F34.
Notes: "January 2001."; "December 2000"--Abstract.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 39).

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