The relationship between statistics and economics is analyzed from two view-points. First, the fundamental role played by statistical inference in estimating economic relations and in testing underlying hypotheses in examined. Second, examples are given to show how new ideas emerge from the...

This paper applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) to the Swiss construction industry in different Cantons. In some Cantons the market is relatively competitive, in others non-competitive procurement rules are expected to raise the equilibrium prices. If the firms in different markets use the...

The article presents an evaluation of the Swiss debt-reduction-facility, which was founded in 1991 in order to reduce the negative consequences of high outstanding debts of poor countries. The theoretical conditions for a success of the action are shown and compared with the empirical evidence....

This paper estimates the persistence of shocks to Swiss unemployment. Parametric as well as a non-parametric measures of persistence indicate that the long run impact of shocks to unemployment is larger than their short run effect. Furthermore, the measures show clearly higher values for the...

In this paper, we develop a method allowing to split up an aggregate according to its homogeneous components, using statistical indicators. This problem is formulated as one of optimal linear forecast in a generalized linear regression model structured in order to explain the time path of an...

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We present results from a study on the economic performances of a public mass transit firm. Measures of productive efficiency as well as of adequacy between supply and demand (effectiveness) are computed monthly. We observe a clear positive trend for technical performances but less favorable...

The principle of method of moments is applied in this paper to the estimation of panel models where the explanatory variable is a count variable. The estimators introduced account for invididual heterogeneity in terms of a fixed or a random individual effect as well as for time dependent...

We analyze the stylized facts of the Swiss business cycle and find only minor differences compared to US time series. This justifies running a simulation experiment using the real business cycle (RBC) model of KYDLAND/PRESCOTT (KP) (1982) which is formulated for a closed economy. The stylized...

The article deals with the question of what (quantitative) influence Switzerland could potentially obtain as a Community Member State in the EC Council of Ministers. Since the introduction of the Single European Act, and even more after the Treaty on European Union will become effective,...