Uniform Estimation and Inference of Time-Heterogeneous Panel Data Models with Interactive Fixed Effects

Abstract

We consider high-dimensional panel data models (large cross sections and long time horizons) with interactive fixed effects and allow the covariate/slope coefficients to vary over time without any restrictions. The parameter of interest is the vector that contains all the covariate effects across time. This vector has dimensionality tending to infinity, potentially much faster than the cross-sectional sample size. We develop methods for the estimation and inference of this high-dimensional vector, i.e., the entire trajectory of time variation in covariate effects. We show that both the consistency of our estimator and the asymptotic accuracy of the proposed inference procedure hold uniformly in time. Our methodology can be applied to several important issues in econometrics, such as constructing confidence bands for the entire path of covariate coefficients across time, testing the time-invariance of slope coefficients and estimation and inference of patterns of time variations, including structural breaks and regime switching. An important feature of our method is that it provides inference procedures for the time variation in prespecified components of slope coefficients while allowing for arbitrary time variation in other components. Computationally, our procedures do not require any numerical optimization and are very simple to implement. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate favorable properties of our methods in finite samples. We illustrate our methods through empirical applications in finance and economics.