We evaluate a randomized experiment of a statistical support system developed to assist caseworkers in Swiss employment offices in choosing appropriate active labour market programmes for their unemployed clients. The support system was piloted in several employment offices in which, randomly,...

We tested for the significance of macroeconomic variables that condition nonperforming loan (NPL) ratios. The hypothesis of procyclicality between economic activity and improving NPL ratio in the Baltic States was proved. The increased economic activity improved the NPL ratio. Due to a high...

This paper investigates the price setting behaviour of firms based on the individual price quotes underlying the Swiss consumer price index. The data set covers the years from 1993 to 2005. Six main findings emerge from the analysis. (i) Prices are sticky. (ii) The price setting behavior is...

Repurchase agreements (repos) are secured money market transactions. The cash taker provides collateral in the form of securities and in return receives money from the cash provider. To ensure the continuous covering of the cash amount, the definition of eligible collateral, its handling and...

The classical Armington (1969) assumption that consumption is differentiated by the location of production is often needed to match aggregate trade patterns. Also more recent findings that there are pronounced systematic patterns in the quality composition of production, trade, and consumption...

This paper provides a simple model that highlights the political substitutability between import tariffs and production subsidies.1 When taxes are distortionary, political pressures by domestic interest groups representing the import competing sector induce the government to set inefficiently...

Recent work in international economics provides insights into the measurement of product variety change - i.e., the change at the extensive margin of trade - and its consequences for a country's welfare. In such work, the measurement of product variety change is typically taken as given. There...

In this paper, I introduce a trade-promoting "invisible asset" into the standard Krugman (1980) model of international trade. It can be interpreted as trust that accumulates as an externality in proportion to successful international transactions. I use this framework to theoretically derive a...

In comparing the impact of corporate taxation and social insurance on foreign direct investment (FDI) and unemployment, the paper derives four main results: (i) the optimal size of the welfare state depends on the degree of risk-aversion, the unemployment rate and the excess burden of labor...