Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to the U.S. and global economies. In the U.S., output fell sharply in the first half of 2020, and unemployment reached its highest level since 1940. However, the economy quickly recovered due to vaccine deployment, fiscal stimulus, and monetary accommodation. Job vacancies surged, while labor supply remained low due to reduced immigration and labor force participation. This led to severe labor shortages and high inflation.
Beveridge Curve Analysis The Beveridge curve, named after William Beveridge, helps understand the relationship between unemployment and job vacancies. It is particularly useful in assessing the likelihood of a soft landing in the labor market. Modern labor market models using the Beveridge curve were employed to evaluate conditions necessary for a soft landing and their likelihood during the pandemic.
Key Findings
Economic Conditions for a Soft Landing The conditions for a soft landing included:
Evolution of the Labor Market Since early 2022, the U.S. labor market has shown consistent behavior aligning with the conditions for a soft landing:
Generalization Across Markets Similar trends were observed in regional U.S. and advanced foreign economies that also experienced a surge in job vacancies during the pandemic. This suggests that the steepness in the Beveridge curve at high vacancy levels is a broader phenomenon in advanced economies.
The Beveridge curve analysis indicates that a soft landing was a plausible outcome during the pandemic, supported by the steepness of the curve and consistent labor market behavior. These conditions have continued to hold true since then, suggesting that the labor market dynamics leading to a soft landing are robust.