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Monetary policy, firm heterogeneity, and product variety

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: This study provides new insights on the allocative effect of monetary policy. It shows that contractionary monetary policy exerts an important reallocation effect by cleansing unproductive firms and enhancing aggregate productivity. At the same time, however, reallocation involves a reduction in the number of product variety that is central to consumer preferences and hurts welfare. A contractionary policy prevents the entry of new firms and insulates incumbent firms from competition, reducing aggregate productivity. We provide empirical evidence on U.S. data that corroborates the relevance of monetary policy for product variety resulting from firm entry and exit.

Source: European Economic Review

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2022.104089

Authors: Masashige Hamano, Francesco Zanetti

Institutions: Waseda University, University of Oxford

Language: English

Topic: Monetary Policy and Economic Impact

Subfield: General Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,500