The natural interest rate is the real rate that would prevail in the long-run. The standard view in macroeconomics is that the natural rate depends exclusively on structural factors such as productivity growth and demographics. This paper challenges this view by discussing three alternative, and...

Using a New Keynesian Phillips curve, we document the rapid and persistent increase in the natural rate of unemployment, 𝑢𝑡 ∗ , in the aftermath of the pandemic and characterize its implications for inflation dynamics. While the bulk of the inflation surge is attributed to temporary...