Background
The Phillips Curve describes an empirical inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment. Originating from the work of economist A.W. Phillips in 1958, it illustrates the idea that in the short run, lower unemployment rates correlate with higher inflation rates as increasing demand for labor drives up wages.
Historical Context
A.W. Phillips’ research initially demonstrated the relationship between the rate of wage inflation and unemployment in the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. This relationship suggested that policy efforts to reduce unemployment could result in higher inflation, presenting a trade-off that became a central focus of macroeconomic policy debates during the 1960s and 1970s.
Definitions and Concepts
Phillips Curve
An inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment. The relationship suggests higher inflation accompanies lower unemployment and vice versa. Over time, the concept has evolved to incorporate inflationary expectations and other refinements.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economists focused primarily on the long-run aggregate supply being vertical, where inflation and unemployment are considered independent. Deviations originating from Phillips Curve analysis created an integration challenge within this framework.
Neoclassical Economics
Similar to classical, neoclassical economics concentrates on long-term outcomes, suggesting that the Phillips Curve is vertical when rational expectations and flexible prices are integrated, indicating no long-term trade-off between unemployment and inflation.
Keynesian Economics
Keynesians accepted the short-run trade-off depicted by the Phillips Curve, suggesting active fiscal and monetary policies could exploit this relationship to relieve unemployment, even at the cost of higher inflation.
Marxian Economics
Marxian economists might view the Phillips Curve through the lens of wage dynamics and labor market power imbalances, suggesting the manipulation of inflation and unemployment reflects political and class struggles.
Institutional Economics
This approach touches on how labour market structures, wage-setting institutions, and bargaining power could push historical variations in the Phillips Curve relationship.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists might examine how heuristics and biases distort expectations formation, influencing the predictability and dynamics described by the Phillips Curve.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesians argue that the non-linear and context-dependent nature of the Phillips Curve complicates simple policy prescriptions, focusing on historically-specific and institutional factors.
Austrian Economics
Austrians criticize the artificial manipulation of macroeconomic variables such as inflation and unemployment, asserting that distortion through policy interventions obscures the Phillips Curve’s relevance.
Development Economics
Here, scholars look at how developing economies might show different inflation-unemployment dynamics compared to developed ones, given varying structural attributes.
Monetarism
Monetarists, particularly Milton Friedman, emphasized the expectations-augmented Phillips Curve. They argue inflation expectations adapt, making any long-term trade-off unreliable. They thus propose a vertical long-term Phillips Curve at the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment (NAIRU).
Comparative Analysis
The Phillips Curve evolved from a robust recommendation tool to a nuanced analysis cornerstone, integrating various macroeconomic schools of thought. Short-term versus long-term depend distinctly on expectations formation and structural factors.
Case Studies
Various countries through different decades (e.g., the U.S. during the 1970s stagflation) provided real-world cases demonstrating or contradicting the Phillips Curve presumptions. A prominent study involves New Zealand where the eponymous model first gained empirical formulation.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “Phillips Curves, Phillips Relations, and the Transmission Mechanism in the Global Economy” by P.A. Restropo and K.V. Filardo
- “Macroeconomics: Theories and Policies” by Richard T. Froyen
- “Monetary Theory and Policy” by Carl E. Walsh
Related Terms with Definitions
- Natural Rate of Unemployment: The long-term rate of unemployment determined by the labor market’s structural characteristics.
- Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment (NAIRU): The specific level of unemployment that is consistent with a stable rate of inflation.
- Rational Expectations: The hypothesis that individuals form forecasts of future values of variables using all available information efficiently.
- Inflationary Expectations: The anticipated rate of inflation, which can influence actual future inflation levels as actors in the economy adjust their behavior accordingly.
By exploring the Phillips Curve in its historical, theoretical, and practical dimensions, we emphasize not just the economic mechanics at play but also the evolving interpretations challenging policy design.
