Uncertainty, Macroeconomic Activity and Commodity Price: A Global Analysis

Abstract

We extend Jurado et al. (2015)’s forecast-error-based uncertainty measure to the international context, and construct a new measure of global uncertainty. We examine dynamic causal effects among global uncertainty and other global macroeconomic variables, and provide two important applications of our global uncertainty measure by linking it to the price formation mechanism of oil and international uncertainty spillover effects. We show that the well-documented relation between uncertainty and real activities is not only a regional issue, but also a global phenomenon. Global uncertainty also plays a key role in determining commodity prices, as well as driving business cycle fluctuations in a certain economy.