This paper examines the role of fiscal policies in the dynamics of the labor market. Through the lenses of Okun's Law, we assess how fiscal policy instruments as well as fiscal consolidation and expansion episodes affect labor market outcomes. Using a panel of 34 OECD countries over the period...

The global financial crisis deeply impacted labour markets around the globe. In the case of the United States, some commentators have argued that the subsequent rise in unemployment exceeded previous estimates of the elasticity of the unemployment rate with respect to output growth, a...

In this paper we implement a non-dynamic panel threshold model for fifty U.S. states to better understand the factors determining changes in Okun’s Law. We test for asymmetries in Okun’s Law controlling for changes in industry employment. We find changes in output on unemployment are least...