Bart Hobijn
Research
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
230 S La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60604, USA
+1-312-322-8103
# bart.hobijn@barthobijn.net
www.barthobijn.net
April 20, 2024
External webpages
Google
Scholar
Page with an overview of the citations to my research
IDEAS Page with a list of my publications, citations, and bibliographic information
Research Agenda
Overarching
Theme
As an applied macroeconomist I have worked on a wide range of topics. All these
topics fall under one overarching theme. All my research projects bring more
detailed data to bear to help us understand the patterns in the aggregate
measures, like GDP per capita, inflation, and the unemployment rate, that
are the focus of most macroeconomic models. In particular, my research agenda
covers three broad topics.
I. Labor
market
dynamics
How can we use existing data and construct new data to better understand the
dynamics of labor markets in the U.S. and around the world? How can these data be
applied to theoretical models of the labor market? This is important to understand
the cyclical behavior of the unemployment rate and wages, medium-run movements
in participation and the employment-to-population ratio, and workers’ life-time
career profiles.
II. Growth
and
technology
adoption
In countries with lower standards of living people tend to use older (outdated)
technologies. How far are countries behind the technological frontier? What part of
the differences in per capita GDP across countries do these technology adoption
lags account for? What is holding countries back? What is the cost to workers of
the introduction of new technologies and how do these costs slow down technology
adoption and economic development?
III. Price
setting and
inflation
How do the price-setting decisions of firms affect the inflation rate that we measure?
How is inflation influenced by monetary policy decisions and by external shocks to
firms’ cost structures? How can we improve our measures of inflation to better
capture the introduction of new and better products?
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 1 of 9
Publications, related files, and press coverage
Below is a list of publications and working papers. The publications are categorized
in three groups: academic publications, Federal Reserve publications, and other
publications. For each of the items in these lists, related press coverage and
replication and presentation files are included when available. This is an interactive
list. All titles are linked and so are all press references and paper-related files.
Academic publications
2024
Barlevy, Gadi et al. (2024). The Shifting Reasons for Beveridge-Curve Shifts”. In:
Journal of Economic Perspectives Spring, pp. –.
Esfahani, Mehrdad, John G. Fernald, and Bart Hobijn (2024). World Productivity:
1996 - 2014”. In: American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics forthcoming, pp. –.
Hobijn, Bart and Robert S. Kaplan (2024). Occupational Switching During the
Second Industrial Revolution”. In: Economics Letters.
Potter, Tristan, Bart Hobijn, and Andre Kurmann (2024). On the Inefficiency of
Non-Competes in Low-Wage Labor Markets”. In: Economica forthcoming, pp. –.
2022
Daly, Mary C. and Bart Hobijn (2022). The Importance of the Part-Time and
Participation Margins for Real Wage Adjustment”. In: Journal of Money Credit and
Banking 54, pp. 89–111.
Press coverage: NY Times
Revised version of The intensive and extensive margins of real wage adjustment.
Hobijn, Bart and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2022). Maximum Employment and the Partic-
ipation Cycle”. In: Proceedings of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium 2021,
pp. 273–372. Additional Materials: Presentation, Handout, Minilecture. Press coverage: Economist,
Reuters.
2021
Bonam, Dennis and Bart Hobijn (2021). Generalized Stability of Monetary Unions
Under Regime Switching in Monetary and Fiscal Policies”. In: Journal of Money,
Credit and Banking 53.1, pp. 73–94.
Press coverage: AEA interview with Dennis.
Hobijn, Bart, Fernanda Nechio, and Adam Hale Shapiro (2021). Using Brexit to
identify the nature of price rigidities”. In: Journal of International Economics 130,
p. 103448. issn: 0022-1996.
2020
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Joseph H. Pedtke (2020). Labor market dynamics
and black–white earnings gaps”. In: Economics Letters 186, p. 108807. issn: 0165-
1765.
2019
Elsby, Michael et al. (2019). Flow Origins of Labor Force Participation Fluctuations”.
In: American Economic Review (Papers and Proceedings) 109.5, pp. 461–464.
Additional files: Slides.
Hobijn, Bart and Fernanda Nechio (2019). Sticker shocks: using VAT changes
to estimate upper-level elasticities of substitution”. In: Journal of the European
Economic Association 17.3, pp. 799–833.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 2 of 9
2017
Bosler, Canyon et al. (2017). The Outlook for U.S. Labor-Quality Growth”. In:
Hulten, Charles and Valerie Ramey. Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Impli-
cations for Future U.S. GDP Growth. University of Chicago Press.
Press coverage: Fox Business.
Daly, Mary C. and Bart Hobijn (2017). Composition and Aggregate Real Wage
Growth”. In: American Economic Review (Papers and Proceedings) 107.5, pp. 349–
52.
2016
Carrillo-Tudela, Carlos et al. (2016). The extent and cyclicality of career changes:
Evidence for the U.K”. In: European Economic Review 84.C, pp. 18–41.
2015
Elsby, Michael W.L., Bart Hobijn, and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2015). On the importance
of the participation margin for labor market fluctuations”. In: Journal of Monetary
Economics 72.C, pp. 64–82.
Additional Materials: Replication files.
Hale, Galina and Bart Hobijn (2015). Share of Imports and Commodities in
Consumption and Investment in the United States”. In: Uncovering Value Added in
Trade: New Approaches to Analyzing Global Value Chains. World Scientific Book
Chapters. World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. Chap. 6, pp. 101–112.
2014
Daly, Mary C. and Bart Hobijn (2014). Downward Nominal Wage Rigidities Bend
the Phillips Curve”. In: Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 46.S2, pp. 51–93.
Additional files: Slides, Replication files.
Press coverage: Krugman blog (1), Krugman blog (2), BusinessWeek, Economist , STL Post-
Dispatch, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Washington Post, MSN, BusinessWeek, FD (Dutch),
Economist, WSJ (blog), NY Times (blog).
2013
Elsby, Michael, Bart Hobijn, and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2013a). The Decline of the U.S.
Labor Share”. In: Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 44.2 (Fall), pp. 1–63.
Additional files: Slides, Replication files
Press coverage: Bloomberg, Slate , Business Insider, Economist, U.S. News, Economist, Bloomberg,
WSJ (opinion), Economist, Bloomberg.
Elsby, Michael W. L., Bart Hobijn, and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2013b). Unemployment
Dynamics in the OECD”. In: The Review of Economics and Statistics 95.2, pp. 530–
548.
Hobijn, Bart and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2013). Beveridge Curve Shifts across Countries
since the Great Recession”. In: IMF Economic Review 61.4, pp. 566–600.
Additional files: Slides, Replication files
Press coverage: Financial Times.
Hobijn, Bart and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (Jan. 2013). Firms And Flexibility”. In: Economic
Inquiry 51.1, pp. 922–940.
2012
Barnichon, Regis et al. (2012). Which industries are shifting the Beveridge curve?
In: Monthly Labor Review June 2012, pp. 25–37.
Daly, Mary C. et al. (2012a). A Search and Matching Approach to Labor Markets:
Did the Natural Rate of Unemployment Rise? In: Journal of Economic Perspectives
26.3, pp. 3–26.
Press coverage: WSJ (blog), Economist.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 3 of 9
2011
Comin, Diego and Bart Hobijn (2011). Technology Diffusion and Postwar Growth”.
In: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2010, Volume 25. NBER Chapters. National
Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, pp. 209–246.
Eusepi, Stefano, Bart Hobijn, and Andrea Tambalotti (2011). CONDI: A Cost-of-
Nominal-Distortions Index”. In: American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics 3.3,
pp. 53–91. Additional files: Replication files.
W. L. Elsby, Michael et al. (Sept. 2011). The Labor Market in the Great Reces-
sion—An Update to September 2011”. In: Brookings Papers on Economic Activity
Fall 2011, pp. 353–384.
Additional files: Slides, Replication files
Press coverage: Economist, Economist, NY Times (blog), Economist.
2010
Comin, Diego and Bart Hobijn (2010). An Exploration of Technology Diffusion”.
In: American Economic Review 100.5, pp. 2031–2059.
Additional files: Online appendix, Replication files, Dataset
Press coverage: Economist.
Elsby, Michael W. L., Bart Hobijn, and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2010). The Labor Market
in the Great Recession”. In: Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 41.1 (Spring),
pp. 1–69.
Additional files: Replication files
Press coverage: Economist, Economist, Economist, Christian Science Monitor.
2009
Comin, Diego and Bart Hobijn (2009a). Lobbies and Technology Diffusion”. In:
The Review of Economics and Statistics 91.2, pp. 229–244.
Hobijn, Bart and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2009). Job-finding and separation rates in the
OECD”. In: Economics Letters 104.3, pp. 107–111.
2008
Comin, Diego, Bart Hobijn, and Emilie Rovito (2008a). Technology usage lags”.
In: Journal of Economic Growth 13.4, pp. 237–256.
Additional files: Replication files.
Comin, Diego, Bart Hobijn, and Emilie Rovito (2008b). A new approach to
measuring technology with an application to the shape of the diffusion curves”. In:
The Journal of Technology Transfer 33.2, pp. 187–207.
2007
Bech, Morten L. and Bart Hobijn (2007). Technology Diffusion within Central
Banking: The Case of Real-Time Gross Settlement”. In: International Journal of
Central Banking 3.3, pp. 147–181.
2006
Hobijn, Bart, Federico Ravenna, and Andrea Tambalotti (2006). Menu Costs at
Work: Restaurant Prices and the Introduction of the Euro”. In: The Quarterly
Journal of Economics 121.3, pp. 1103–1131.
Additional files: Replication files.
2005
Hobijn, Bart and David Lagakos (2005). Inflation Inequality In The United States”.
In: Review of Income and Wealth 51.4, pp. 581–606.
2004
Comin, Diego and Bart Hobijn (2004). Cross-country technology adoption: making
the theories face the facts”. In: Journal of Monetary Economics (Carnegie-Rochester
Conference Series) 51.1, pp. 39–83.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 4 of 9
Hobijn, Bart, Philip Hans Franses, and Marius Ooms (2004). Generalizations of
the KPSS-test for stationarity”. In: Statistica Neerlandica 58.4, pp. 483–502.
Additional files: Replication files.
2003
Benhabib, Jess and Bart Hobijn (2003). Another View of Investment: 40 Years
Later. In: Stiglitz, Joseph et al. Knowledge, Information and Expectations in Mod-
ern Macroeconomics: In Honor of Edmund S. Phelps. Princeton University Press:
Princeton, pp. 522–545.
2001
Boer, Paul de et al. (2001). Did Trade Liberalization Induce a Structural Break in
Imports of Manufactures in Turkey? In: R.Kulikowski, Z.Nahorski and J.W.Owsinski
(eds.) Modelling of Economic Transition Phenomena. University of Information
Technology and Management Press: Warsaw, pp. 198–219.
Hobijn, Bart and Philip Hans Franses (2001). Are living standards converging? In:
Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 12.2, pp. 171–200.
Hobijn, Bart and Boyan Jovanovic (2001). The Information-Technology Revolution
and the Stock Market: Evidence”. In: American Economic Review 91.5, pp. 1203–
1220.
2000
Hobijn, Bart and Philip Hans Franses (2000). Asymptotically perfect and relative
convergence of productivity”. In: Journal of Applied Econometrics 15.1, pp. 59–81.
Additional files: Replication files.
1998
Franses, Philip Hans and Bart Hobijn (1998). Increasing seasonal variation; unit
roots versus shifts in mean and trend”. In: Applied Stochastic Models and Data
Analysis 14.3, pp. 255–261.
Additional files: Replication files.
1997
Franses, Philip Hans and Bart Hobijn (1997). Critical values for unit root tests in
seasonal time series”. In: Journal of Applied Statistics 24.1, pp. 25–48.
Additional files: Replication files.
1996
Lesuis, Piet J. J. et al. (1996). Structural Models of Factor Demands and Techno-
logical Change: An Empirical Assessment of Dynamic Adjustment Specifications for
Sectors of the Dutch Economy”. In: Economic Systems Research 8.4, pp. 341–360.
Federal Reserve publications
2023
Hobijn, Bart and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2023). Missing Workers and Missing Jobs Since
the Pandemic”. In: Chicago Fed - Economic Perspectives 2023-1, July.
Hobijn, Bart et al. (2023). The Recent Steepening of Phillips Curves”. In: Chicago
Fed Letter 475.
2022
Hobijn, Bart (2022b). “Great Resignations” Are Common During Fast Recoveries”.
In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2022.08, pp. 1–06.
Hobijn, Bart et al. (2022). What Is Driving U.S. Inflation amid a Global Inflation
Surge? In: Chicago Fed Letter 470.
2021
Gilchrist, Troy D. and Bart Hobijn (2021). The Divergent Signals about Labor
Market Slack”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2021.25, pp. 01–05.
Press coverage: Bloomberg, Reuters.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 5 of 9
2020
Crust, Erin E., Mary C. Daly, and Bart Hobijn (2020). The Illusion of Wage
Growth”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2020.26, pp. 01–05.
Press coverage: Bloomberg.
2019
Hale, Galina et al. (2019). How Much Do We Spend on Imports? In: FRBSF
Economic Letter 2019-01.
Press coverage: Washington Post, WSJ, LA Times.
Hobijn, Bart et al. (2019). The Brexit Price Spike”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter
2019-20.
2017
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Joseph H. Pedtke (2017). Disappointing Facts
about the Black-White Wage Gap”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2017-26.
Press coverage: Washington Post.
2016
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Benjamin Pyle (2016). What’s up with Wage
Growth? In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2016-7.
Press coverage: Bloomberg, Forbes , Bloomberg, Deseret News , Washington Post.
2015
Carrillo-Tudela, Carlos et al. (2015). Majority of hires never report looking for a
job”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2015-10.
Press coverage: WSJ (blog).
Daly, Mary C. and Bart Hobijn (2015). Why is wage growth so slow? In: FRBSF
Economic Letter 2015-1.
Press coverage: Money , Bloomberg.
Hobijn, Bart and Alexander Nussbacher (2015). The stimulative effect of redistri-
bution”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2015-21.
Press coverage: WSJ (blog).
2014
Carrillo-Tudela, Carlos, Bart Hobijn, and Ludo Visschers (2014). Career changes
decline during recessions”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2014-9.
Press coverage: Bloomberg.
Hobijn, Bart and Leila Bengali (2014). The wage growth gap for recent college
grads”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2014-22.
Press coverage: LA Times, Vox, Reuters, Chicago Tribune, WSJ (blog), Sun-Sentinel.
2013
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Benjamin Bradshaw (2013). Gauging the momen-
tum of the labor recovery”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2013-30.
Press coverage: BusinessWeek, Reuters, WSJ (blog).
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Timothy Ni (2013). The path of wage growth
and unemployment”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2013-20.
Press coverage: Bloomberg.
2012
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Brian Lucking (2012). Why has wage growth
stayed strong? In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2012-10.
Additional materials: FRBSF Wage Rigidity Meter
Press coverage: Krugman blog, NY Times.
Daly, Mary C. et al. (2012b). Will the jobless rate drop take a break? In: FRBSF
Economic Letter 2012-37.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 6 of 9
Hale, Galina, Bart Hobijn, and Rachna Raina (2012). Commodity prices and PCE
inflation”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2012-14.
2011
Hale, Galina and Bart Hobijn (2011). The U.S. content of “Made in China””. In:
FRBSF Economic Letter 2011-25.
Press coverage: LA Times, CNN, WSJ (blog), Krugman blog, Economist, NY Times, Japan Times,
Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Diplomat, Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg, USA Today , LA
Times.
Hobijn, Bart and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2011). Do initial claims overstate layoffs? In:
FRBSF Economic Letter 2011-4.
Hobijn, Bart, Colin Gardiner, and Theodore S. Wiles (2011). Recent college
graduates and the labor market”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2011-9.
Press coverage: MSN, WSJ (blog), Economist, NY Times, The Onion (spoof).
Hobijn, Bart, John Krainer, and David Lang (2011). Cap rates and commercial
property prices”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2011-29.
Press coverage: Housing Wire.
2010 S¸
ahin, Ay¸seg¨ul, Joseph Song, and Bart Hobijn (2010). The unemployment gender
gap during the 2007 recession”. In: Current Issues in Economics and Finance 16.Feb.
Daly, Mary C. and Bart Hobijn (2010). Okun’s law and the unemployment surprise
of 2009”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2010-7.
Hobijn, Bart, Stefano Eusepi, and Andrea Tambalotti (2010). The housing drag
on core inflation”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2010-11.
Press coverage: WSJ (blog).
Hobijn, Bart and Colin Gardiner (2010). The breadth of disinflation”. In: FRBSF
Economic Letter 2010-36.
Additional materials: FRBSF PCE Inflation Dispersion Page.
Press coverage: Economist.
Kwok, Joyce, Mary C. Daly, and Bart Hobijn (2010). Labor force participation and
the future path of unemployment”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2010-27.
Press coverage: Economist, Economist.
2009
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Joyce Kwok (2009a). Labor supply responses to
changes in wealth and credit”. In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2009-5.
Daly, Mary C., Bart Hobijn, and Joyce Kwok (2009b). Jobless recovery redux? In:
FRBSF Economic Letter 2009-18.
Hobijn, Bart (2009). The Tech Pulse Index: recent trends in tech-sector activity”.
In: FRBSF Economic Letter 2009-3.
Additional materials: FRBSF Tech-Pulse Release
Press coverage: WSJ.
Hobijn, Bart and Charles Steindel (2009). Do alternative measures of GDP affect
its interpretation? In: Current Issues in Economics and Finance 15.Nov.
Press coverage: Krugman blog.
2008
Hobijn, Bart (2008). Commodity price movements and PCE inflation”. In: Current
Issues in Economics and Finance 14.Nov.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 7 of 9
2007
Hobijn, Bart and Erick Sager (2007). What has homeland security cost? an
assessment: 2001-2005”. In: Current Issues in Economics and Finance 13.Feb.
2005
Groshen, Erica L., Bart Hobijn, and Margaret M. McConnell (2005). U.S. jobs
gained and lost through trade: a net measure”. In: Current Issues in Economics and
Finance 11.Aug.
2003
Hobijn, Bart and David Lagakos (2003). Social security and the consumer price
index for the elderly”. In: Current Issues in Economics and Finance 9.May.
Press coverage: Economist.
Hobijn, Bart, Kevin J. Stiroh, and Alexis Antoniades (2003). Taking the pulse
of the tech sector: a coincident index of high-tech activity”. In: Current Issues in
Economics and Finance 9.Oct.
2002
Hobijn, Bart (2002a). What will homeland security cost? In: Economic Policy
Review Nov, pp. 21–33.
Other publications
2022
Hobijn, Bart (2022a). The Case for More Labor Market Statistics by Race”. In:
New Economic Analysis Newsletter 1, May 2022.
2020
Hobijn, Bart (2020). The Supply-Side Origins of U.S. Inflation”. In: Changing
Inflation Dynamics,Evolving Monetary Policy. Ed. by Gonzalo Castex, Jordi Gal´ı,
and Diego Saravia. Vol. 27. Central Banking, Analysis, and Economic Policies Book
Series. Central Bank of Chile. Chap. 7, pp. 227–268.
Additional files: Slides, Minilecture.
2017
Bonam, Dennis and Bart Hobijn (2017). “Ruim begrotingsbeleid vereist sterke
toekomstige schuldstabilisering”. In: Economisch Statistische Berichten 102, pp. 22–
24.
2012
Comin, Diego and Bart Hobijn (2012). How Early Adoption Has Increased
Wealth—Until Now”. In: Harvard Business Review 90, pp. 34–35.
T., Dickens William and Triest Robert K. (2012). Second Discussant Comment on
Potential Effects of the Great Recession on the U.S. Labor Market”. In: The B.E.
Journal of Macroeconomics 12.3, pp. 1–41.
2009
Elsby, Michael W.L., Bart Hobijn, and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2009). Unemployment in
the Current Crisis”. In: VOX February 14 2009.
1996
Hobijn, Bart and Philip Hans Franses (1996). Convergentie levensstandaard treedt
niet op”. In: Economisch Statistische Berichten 81, pp. 10–12.
Working papers
2024
Bonam, Dennis and Bart Hobijn (2024). Downward Price Rigidities and Inflationary
Relative Demand Shocks. Working Paper Series WP 2024-11. Federal Reserve Bank
of Chicago.
2023
Ahn, Hie Joo, Bart Hobijn, and Ay¸seg¨ul
S¸
ahin (2023). The Dual U.S. Labor Market
Uncovered. Working Paper 31241. National Bureau of Economic Research.
2018
Hobijn, Bart, Todd Schoellman, and Alberto Vindas-Quesada (2018). Structural
Transformation by Cohort”.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 8 of 9
2016
Hobijn, Bart and Patryk Perkowsky (2016). The Industry-Occupation Mix of U.S.
Job Openings and Hires”.
Press coverage: WSJ (blog), Economist.
2009
Comin, Diego A and Bart Hobijn (2009b). The CHAT Dataset. Working Paper
15319. National Bureau of Economic Research.
Hobijn, Bart et al. (2009). Household inflation experiences in the U.S.: a compre-
hensive approach. Working Paper Series 2009-19. Federal Reserve Bank of San
Francisco.
2007
Comin, Diego and Bart Hobijn (Feb. 2007). Implementing Technology. NBER
Working Papers 12886. National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
2006
Comin, Diego, Bart Hobijn, and Emilie Rovito (Jan. 2006). Five Facts You Need to
Know About Technology Diffusion. NBER Working Papers 11928. National Bureau
of Economic Research, Inc.
2002
Hobijn, Bart (2002b). On both sides of the quality bias in price indexes. Staff Reports
157. Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
2001
Hobijn, Bart (2001). Is equipment price deflation a statistical artifact? Staff Reports
139. Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Bart Hobijn, Research, April 20, 2024, Page 9 of 9