The large and widening gap between economic performance in Eastern European transition economies and those of the former Soviet Union has been dubbed "the Great Divide" by Berglof and Bolton (2002). This paper provides a rationale for the gap based upon the concept of financial repression. The...

Quarterly evidence on participation in IMF programs for the period 1974-2003 is examined statistically using the techniques of hazard analysis and error-correction estimation. Three hypotheses are proposed and tested, and the results support a quot;revolving doorquot; explanation of...

I extend a labor-market search and matching model of equilibrium with unemployment insurance (UI) program to incorporate the choice to participate in the labor market. UI reform that lowers the UI payment increases search intensity but discourages labor-market participation. Reducing UI payments...

Despite its adoption of a nominal-anchor exchange-rate policy during the period 1999-2005, Ukrainian financial markets were subject to substantial premia in interest rates on interbank markets relative to what is observed in Euro credit markets. In this paper I demonstrate that there were three...

Theoretical research has predicted three different effects of increased import competition on plant-level behavior: reduced domestic production and sales, improving average efficiency of plants, and increased exit of marginal firms. I use detailed plant-level information available in the US...

In 2013, the state of North Carolina reformed its state Unemployment Insurance (UI) program by reducing the maximum number of payment weeks and reducing the maximum weekly insurance payment. This paper investigates two hypotheses associated with such reform. The first hypothesis is a...

Ukraine has experienced both rapid growth and substantial price and financial volatility since its adoption of exchange-rate stability as the primary goal of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). The increased financial intermediation of the population is a primary reason for these. I demonstrate...