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Forecasting US recessions: the role of economic uncertainty

Author

Listed:
  • Valerio Ercolani

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Filippo Natoli

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract
This paper highlights the role of macroeconomic and financial uncertainty in predicting US recessions. In-sample forecasts using probit models indicate that these two variables are the best predictors of recessions at short horizons. Macroeconomic uncertainty has the highest predictive power up to 7 months ahead and becomes the second best predictor --- after the yield curve slope --- at longer horizons. Using data up to end-2018, out-of-sample forecasts show that uncertainty contributed significantly to lowering the probability of a recession in 2019, which indeed did not occur.

Suggested Citation

  • Valerio Ercolani & Filippo Natoli, 2020. "Forecasting US recessions: the role of economic uncertainty," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1299, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1299_20
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arturo Estrella & Frederic S. Mishkin, 1998. "Predicting U.S. Recessions: Financial Variables As Leading Indicators," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(1), pages 45-61, February.
    2. Giovanni Favara & Simon Gilchrist & Kurt F. Lewis & Egon Zakrajšek, 2016. "Updating the Recession Risk and the Excess Bond Premium," FEDS Notes 2016-10-06, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
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    9. Sara Cecchetti, 2020. "An analysis of sovereign credit risk premia in the euro area: are they explained by local or global factors?," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1271, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
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    12. Jonathan H. Wright, 2006. "The yield curve and predicting recessions," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2006-07, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pop, Ionuț Daniel, 2022. "COVID-19 crisis, voters’ drivers, and financial markets consequences on US presidential election and global economy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    3. Salisu, Afees A. & Gupta, Rangan & Karmakar, Sayar & Das, Sonali, 2022. "Forecasting output growth of advanced economies over eight centuries: The role of gold market volatility as a proxy of global uncertainty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    4. Nguyen, Thanh Cong, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty: The probability and duration of economic recessions in major European Union countries," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    5. Silver, Steven D. & Raseta, Marko & Bazarova, Alina, 2023. "Stochastic resonance in the recovery of signal from agent price expectations," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    6. Choi, Sun-Yong, 2020. "Industry volatility and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from wavelet coherence analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    macroeconomic and financial uncertainty; yield curve slope; recession; probit forecasting model.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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