A Generalized Steady-State Growth Theorem

Scientific Conference (2015)

Uzawa’s steady-state growth theorem (Uzawa (1961)) is generalized to a neoclassical economy that uses current output, e. g., to create technical progress or to manufacture intermediates. The difference ... [more ▼]

Uzawa’s steady-state growth theorem (Uzawa (1961)) is generalized to a neoclassical economy that uses current output, e. g., to create technical progress or to manufacture intermediates. The difference between aggregate final-good production and these resources is referred to as net output. The new generalized steady-state growth theorem holds since net output exhibits constant returns to scale in capital and labor. This insight provides an understanding for why technical change is labor-augmenting in steady state even if capital-augmenting technical change is feasible. By example, this point is made for three recent growth models that allow for endogenous capital- and labor-augmenting technical change, namely, Irmen (2013), Acemoglu (2003), and Acemoglu (2009), Chapter 15. The reduced form of these models is shown to be consistent with the generalized steady-state growth theorem. [less ▲]

The Past and the Future of Economic Growth

Presentation (2014, October 28)

The world’s economic history has largely been a history of stagnation. The phase of sustained growth was only ignited in the second half of the 18th century by the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Since ... [more ▼]

The world’s economic history has largely been a history of stagnation. The phase of sustained growth was only ignited in the second half of the 18th century by the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Since then, many countries have experienced long periods of sustained growth of per-capita income. At the same time, the world income distribution has become more and more unequal. Today per-capita incomes in the richest countries are approximately 30 times higher than in the poorest countries. The first part of this lecture takes a closer look at these past developments. In the second part, we venture a look forward. Among the questions we will address are the following: - Who needs economic growth? Does economic growth imply happiness? Is economic growth necessary to maintain our current standard of living? Does economic growth help the welfare state in the face of population aging and tight public budgets? - Can the process of sustained economic growth go on? Is “no-growth” or even “degrowth” a reasonable option? Does the concept of sustainable growth help to answer these questions? - What are the main challenges for and what are the main obstacles to growth today? [less ▲]

Population Aging and Innovation Do Old Societies Think New Ideas?

Scientific Conference (2014, July 26)

This research advances the hypothesis that at the individual level "old people think old ideas" whereas at the aggregate level "old societies think new ideas." More precisely, we empirically establish the ... [more ▼]

This research advances the hypothesis that at the individual level "old people think old ideas" whereas at the aggregate level "old societies think new ideas." More precisely, we empirically establish the following three hypotheses: i) population aging has a hump-shaped effect on innovation, ii) old societies think new ideas, and iii) the effect of population aging on innovation operates partly through a favorable attitude towards new ideas and creativity. Our results falsify the often encountered vision according to which old societies think old ideas. Moreover they emphasize that innovation activity in aging societies is in part driven by cultural attitudes. [less ▲]

Capital- and Labor-Saving Technical Change in an Aging Economy

Scientific Conference (2014, April)

Property Rights, Public Enforcement, and Growth

in Scandinavian Journal of Economics (2014), 116

We study the link between public enforcement of property rights, innovation investments, and economic growth in an endogenous growth framework with an expanding set of product varieties. We find that a ... [more ▼]

We study the link between public enforcement of property rights, innovation investments, and economic growth in an endogenous growth framework with an expanding set of product varieties. We find that a government may assure positive equilibrium growth through public employment in the enforcement of property rights, if the economic environment is sufficiently favorable to growth and/or public enforcement is sufficiently effective. However, in terms of welfare an equilibrium path without property rights protection and growth might be preferable. In this case the enforcement of property rights involves too much reallocation of labor from production and research towards the public sector. [less ▲]

Real Factor Prices and Factor-Augmenting Technical Change

in The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics (2014), 14(1)

How does technical change affect real factor prices? This paper gives a comprehensive answer for the most important benchmark used in the modern debate: technical change is factor-augmenting and ... [more ▼]

How does technical change affect real factor prices? This paper gives a comprehensive answer for the most important benchmark used in the modern debate: technical change is factor-augmenting and materializes in a neoclassical economy with competitive firms equipped with a constant elasticity of substitution (CES) production function. I establish that the effect of labor-augmenting technical change crucially hinges on whether the economy’s capital endowment exceeds or falls short of its amount of efficient labor. This distinction determines the sign of the effect for sufficiently small values of the elasticity of substitution. In the former case, labor-augmenting technical progress must increase the equilibrium wage. In the latter case the equilibrium wage is reduced. In both cases, technical progress increases the price of capital. Overall, the analysis stresses that not only the elasticity of substitution but also the degree of diminishing returns, the distribution parameters of the CES, and the level of the efficient capital intensity matter for the effect of labor-augmenting technical change on real factor prices. Mutatis mutandis, these considerations carry over to the case of capital-augmenting technical change. [less ▲]

A Generalized Steady-State Growth Theorem

E-print/Working paper (2013)

Uzawa’s steady-state growth theorem (Uzawa (1961)) is generalized to a neoclassical economy that uses current output, e. g., to create technical progress or to manufacture intermediates. The difference ... [more ▼]

Uzawa’s steady-state growth theorem (Uzawa (1961)) is generalized to a neoclassical economy that uses current output, e. g., to create technical progress or to manufacture intermediates. The difference between aggregate final-good production and these resources is referred to as net output. The new generalized steady-state growth theorem holds since net output exhibits constant returns to scale in capital and labor. This insight provides an understanding for why technical change is labor-augmenting in steady state even if capital-augmenting technical change is feasible. By example, this point is made for three recent growth models that allow for endogenous capital- and labor-augmenting technical change, namely, Irmen (2013), Acemoglu (2003), and Acemoglu (2009), Chapter 15. The reduced form of these models is shown to be consistent with the generalized steady-state growth theorem. [less ▲]

Population, Pensions, and Endogenous Economic Growth

E-print/Working paper (2013)

We study the effect of a declining labor force on the incentives to engage in labor-saving technical change and ask how this effect is influenced by institutional characteristics of the pension scheme ... [more ▼]

We study the effect of a declining labor force on the incentives to engage in labor-saving technical change and ask how this effect is influenced by institutional characteristics of the pension scheme. When labor is scarcer it becomes more expensive and innovation investments that increase labor productivity are more profitable. We incorporate this channel in a new dynamic general equilibrium model with endogenous economic growth and heterogeneous overlapping generations. We calibrate the model for the US economy and obtain the following results. First, the effect of a decline in population growth on labor productivity growth is positive and quantitatively significant. In our benchmark, it is predicted to increase from an average annual growth rate of 1.74% over 1990-2000 to 2.41% in 2100. Second, institutional characteristics of the pension system matter both for the growth performance and for individual welfare. Third, the assessment of pension reform proposals may depend on whether economic growth is endogenous or exogenous. [less ▲]

Ist Wirtschaftswachstum systemimmanent?

Report (2011)

No abstract is available for this item.

Ist Wirtschaftswachstum systemimmanent?

Report (2011)

No abstract is available for this item.