Inter- and Intrasectoral Shocks: Effects on the Unemployment Rate

Abstract

Intersectoral shocks require resource reallocation across sectors while intrasectoral shocks require resource reallocation within sectors. A crucial difference between these shocks is that the former require much higher adjustment costs than the latter. Using accounting data to calculate returns on capital in manufacturing industries, I generate proxies for these shocks. I find that the magnitude of intrasectoral shocks is much greater than that of intersectoral shocks but intersectoral shocks explain the aggregate unemployment rate better than intrasectoral shocks. I also find that intersectoral shocks are more closely related to the unemployment rate in the later part of the sample considered.