Alvarez Santiago E, Lein Sarah M
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
CEPR, London, UK.
Swiss J Econ Stat. 2020;156(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s41937-020-00062-w. Epub 2020 Nov 4.
Using online data for prices and real-time debit card transaction data on changes in expenditures for Switzerland allows us to track inflation on a daily basis. While the daily price index fluctuates around the official price index in normal times, it drops immediately after the lockdown related to the COVID19 pandemic. Official statistics reflect this drop only with a lag, specifically because data collection takes time and is impeded by lockdown conditions. Such daily real-time information can be useful to gauge the relative importance of demand and supply shocks and thus inform policymakers who need to determine appropriate policy measures.
利用瑞士的在线价格数据和借记卡实时交易数据中支出的变化情况,我们能够每天追踪通货膨胀。在正常时期,每日价格指数围绕官方价格指数波动,但在与新冠疫情相关的封锁措施实施后,该指数立即下降。官方统计数据只是在一段时间后才反映出这种下降,特别是因为数据收集需要时间,而且受到封锁条件的阻碍。这种每日实时信息有助于衡量需求和供给冲击的相对重要性,从而为需要确定适当政策措施的政策制定者提供参考。