Discussion Paper
Monitoring Real Activity in Real Time: The Weekly Economic Index
Abstract: Economists are well-practiced at assessing real activity based on familiar aggregate time series, like the unemployment rate, industrial production, or GDP growth. However, these series represent monthly or quarterly averages of economic conditions, and are only available at a considerable lag, after the month or quarter ends. When the economy hits sudden headwinds, like the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions can evolve rapidly. How can we monitor the high-frequency evolution of the economy in “real time”?
Keywords: high frequency; real activity; nowcasting; COVID-19;
JEL Classification: E2; C53; E32; I12;
Access Documents
File(s):
File format is text/html
https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2020/03/monitoring-real-activity-in-real-time-the-weekly-economic-index.html
Description: Full text
Bibliographic Information
Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Part of Series: Liberty Street Economics
Publication Date: 2020-03-30
Number: 20200330b