Inflation and Employment in Open Economies: Essays

Published in 1979 as part of the Studies in International Economics series, this volume compiles essays by the Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck. The work emerged from a period of significant global economic turbulence, specifically addressing the intersection of domestic inflation and international trade dynamics during the post-Bretton Woods era. Lindbeck, known for his work on the Swedish welfare state and international macroeconomics, sought to provide a theoretical framework for understanding how small, open economies navigate the pressures of global price instability while maintaining full employment.

The volume represents a rigorous academic effort to integrate neoclassical economic theory with empirical realities of the 1970s. Lindbeck’s analysis focuses on the transmission mechanisms of inflation and the constraints faced by policymakers in an increasingly interconnected global market. Upon release, the book was received as a scholarly contribution to the literature on open-economy macroeconomics, serving as a primary text for academics and policymakers interested in the structural challenges of national economic management in the face of international shocks.