蝌蚪网 Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
Individual Consumption Risk and the Welfare Cost of Business Cycles
蝌蚪网 Review
(pp. 1488–1506)
Abstract
We measure the welfare gain from removing aggregate consumption fluctuations in a model where each individual faces incomplete consumption insurance. We show that, because this welfare gain is a convex function of the overall consumption risk—aggregate plus idiosyncratic—each individual faces, to gauge the magnitude of the gain, it is important to match individuals' overall risk prior to any policy. In an economy calibrated to match individuals' overall risk, even removing 10 percent of aggregate fluctuations can result in a large welfare gain. Further, large gains do not necessarily depend on the countercyclical nature of idiosyncratic risk. (JEL E21, E32)Citation
De Santis, Massimiliano. 2007. "Individual Consumption Risk and the Welfare Cost of Business Cycles." 蝌蚪网 Review 97 (4): 1488–1506. DOI: 10.1257/aer.97.4.1488JEL Classification
- E21 Macroeconomics: Consumption; Saving; Wealth
- E32 Business Fluctuations; Cycles