Dietrich K. Fausten

The Humean Origin of the Contemporary Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments

I. Introduction, 655.—II. The essence of the modern monetary approach, 657.—III. The price-specie-flow mechanism of David Hume, 663.—IV. Concluding observations, 668.

The balancing item in Australia's balance of payments accounts: an impressionistic view

The balancing item in the Australian balance of payments has been increasing in magnitude and volatility, violating with increasing frequency internationally agreed acceptability criteria of smallness. This investigation examines the temporal evolution of the balancing item, identifying structural breaks that are plausible a priori. It also explores alternative data-driven and structural approaches to the diagnosis of the errors and omissions in the statistical record.

Do Australian Qualifications Help? The Effect of Host Country Qualification on Migrant Participation and Unemployment*

The current Australian migration program rewards applicants for possessing Australian tertiary qualifications. This study examines whether such qualifications help mitigate the labour market disadvantages faced by immigrants in Australia. The effect of host country qualification on labour market assimilation is estimated by comparing the labour force participation and unemployment of natives with two groups of migrants: those holding foreign qualifications and those holding Australian qualifications. Controlling for factors such as level of education and experience, there is no evidence that Australian qualifications result in better labour market outcomes for migrants.

Strategic FDI and Industrial Ownership Structure

We argue that different industrial ownership structures generate different incentives for firms to engage in FDI. A comparison is made between (partially) cooperative structures such as the Japanese and Korean systems and competitive structures such as U.S. firms. It is found that ownership structure has significant implications for the probability of initial FDI. Whether or not a cooperative structure is also coordinated turns out to be crucial in predicting FDI behaviour. This has further implications for the optimal FDI incentives of potential host countries and for how empirical studies might be designed.

Evolution of the Trans-Atlantic exchange rate before and after the birth of the Euro and policy implications

The establishment of the Euro could present a challenge to the hegemony of the US Dollar as the predominant international currency. The fact that the unipolar US Dollar dominated international monetary system can be unstable in the presence of large shocks presents an opportunity for the Euro to promote systemic stability. The present study pursues this conjecture by exploring with cointegration and Error Correction Method techniques, the interdependence between the dynamics of the Dollar/Euro exchange rate and economic fundamentals in the context of a monetary exchange rate model. Our results suggest that both short-run (price stickiness) and long-run (secular growth) fundamentals affect the exchange rate path. These findings support a relatively broad-based policy approach to promote the collective economic interest of the EU-zone. To the extent that such policies succeed in strengthening and stabilizing the Euro-zone economy, they are likely to buttress and possibly accelerate the internationalization of the Euro.

Do Immigrants Save Less than Natives? Immigrant and Native Saving Behaviour in Australia

The observed wealth differential in favour of native households seems to contradict the analytical presumption of a saving differential in favour of immigrant households. This article seeks to explain the observed differences in wealth through an examination of the respective saving behaviour of immigrants and natives. Quantile regression and semiparametric decomposition methods are used to identify the saving differential and to isolate the factors that contribute to it. The basic finding is that household income is the key to the differential saving pattern. Moreover, decomposition analysis suggests that immigrants have a tendency to save more than natives when compared with Australian-born households with similar characteristics. We also find evidence of heterogeneity in immigrant saving behaviour depending on household types and countries of origin.

Evolution of Dollar/Euro Exchange Rate Before and After the Birth of Euro and Policy Implications

One possible consequence of the establishment of the Euro is a challenge to the hegemony of the US dollar as the predominant international currency. No other currency has been able to rival the international role of the greenback since World War II. The fact that the unipolar international monetary system, dominated by the US dollar, can be unstable in the presence of large shocks opens a window of opportunity for the Euro to promote systemic stability. The present study pursues this conjecture by, first, exploring with cointegration and ECM techniques the interdependence between the dynamics of the Dollar/Euro exchange rate and economic fundamentals in the context of a monetary exchange rate model. Identification of the key determinants of the value of the Euro informs our analysis of the policy stance of the European Central Bank regarding the long-run global role of the Euro. Secondly, we explore whether the opportunity for a prominent systemic role of the Euro has been realized by examining the impact of the Euro on the global financial market.