Nonlinear Inflation Dynamics in Menu Cost Economies

Blanco, Andres; Boar, Corina; Jones, Callum J.; Midrigan, Virgiliu

doi:10.17016/FEDS.2024.005

Working Paper

Nonlinear Inflation Dynamics in Menu Cost Economies

Abstract: Canonical menu cost models, when parameterized to match the micro-price data, cannot reproduce the extent to which the fraction of price changes increases with inflation. They also predict implausibly large menu costs and misallocation in the presence of strategic complementarities. We resolve these shortcomings by extending the multiproduct menu cost model along two dimensions. First, the products sold by a firm are imperfect substitutes. Second, strategic complementarities are at the firm, not product level. In contrast to standard models, the fraction of price changes increases rapidly with the size of monetary shocks, so our model implies a non-linear Phillips curve.

Keywords: Menu costs; Inflation; Phillips curve;

JEL Classification: ;

https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2024.005