James (Jim) C. MacGee - Latest
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The Heterogeneous Effects of COVID-19 on Canadian Household Consumption, Debt and Savings
The impact of COVID-19 on Canadian households’ debt and unplanned savings varies by household income. Low-income and high-income households accrued unplanned savings, while middle-income households tended to accumulate more debt. -
Has the Inflation Process Changed? Selective Review of Recent Research on Inflation Dynamics
From 2011 to 2019, inflation in Canada and advanced economies usually registered below inflation targets, spurring the debate on whether the inflation process has changed. This paper highlights emerging questions that will influence the conduct of monetary policy in Canada in the near term. -
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Price-Level Dispersion versus Inflation-Rate Dispersion: Evidence from Three Countries
Inflation can affect both the dispersion of commodity-specific price levels across locations (relative price variability, RPV) and the dispersion of inflation rates (relative inflation variability, RIV). Some menu-cost models and models of consumer search suggest that the RIV-inflation relationship could differ from the RPV-inflation relationship.