On of the drivers of mortgage stress, which continues to rise, is flat and falling income growth. This phenomenon is hitting other economies too, such as the UK.
So, today’s speech from RBA Governor Philip Lowe is timely – The Labour Market and Monetary Policy. This speech covers trends in employment and wages in Australia, and the impact of these on monetary policy decisions. It describes developments in the labour market in Australia, including the growth of employment in the services sector, and in part-time jobs. The speech then explores the reasons behind subdued wages growth in Australia and other advanced economies, and the challenge this poses for monetary policy. It restates the Bank’s approach to making monetary policy decisions within the framework of a medium-term inflation target, in way that supports sustainable economic growth and serves the public interest.
He makes the point that if some of the long standing links between income growth and monetary policy are not working as they did, more monetary stimulus may encourage investors to borrow to buy assets, which poses a medium-term risk to financial stability.
In comments after the speech, he also made the point that surging asset prices has led to a growth in inequality across Australia.
Whilst unemployment looks reasonable,
… under utilisation is a real issue.
The persistent slow growth in wages is creating a challenge for central banks. It is contributing to an extended period of inflation below target. In years gone by, the more standard challenge was to keep wage growth in check, so as to stop upward pressure on inflation, which could lead to restrictive monetary policy. No advanced economy faces this challenge at present.
It is possible that things could change in the not too distant future, particularly in those countries at, or near, full employment. It may be that the lags are just a bit longer than usual. If so, we could hit a point at which workers, having had only modest pay increases for a run of years, decide that it is time for a catch-up. If such a tipping point were reached, inflation pressures could emerge quite quickly. In this scenario we could see a period of turbulence in financial markets, given that markets are pricing in little risk of future inflation.
This scenario can’t be completely discounted. It would seem, though, to have a fairly low probability in Australia, especially in light of the continuing spare capacity in our labour market. The more likely case here is that wage growth picks up gradually as the demand for labour strengthens.
Globally, an alternative scenario is that the period of slow wage growth turns out to be much more persistent, partly for the reasons that I discussed earlier. In this scenario, wages growth eventually picks up, but it takes quite a while longer. If so, inflation stays low for longer, although there are other factors that could push inflation higher.
This scenario is one in which the Phillips Curve is flatter than it once was. It is one in which inflation is harder to generate. We can’t yet tell though whether the Phillips Curve in Australia has become flatter, given that we have experienced relatively little variation in the unemployment rate over recent times.
The combination of a flatter Phillips Curve and inflation below target raises a challenge for central banks: how hard to press to get inflation up?
For a central bank with a single objective of inflation, the answer is relatively straightforward. Inflation is too low, so you do what you can to get inflation up. If inflation doesn’t increase, you need more monetary stimulus.
This approach does carry risks, though. A flatter Phillips Curve means that the monetary stimulus has relatively little effect on inflation, at least for a while. At the same time, however, the monetary stimulus is likely to push asset prices higher and encourage more borrowing. Faced with low inflation, low unemployment and low interest rates, investors are likely to find it attractive to borrow money to buy assets. This poses a medium-term risk to financial stability.
