PRODUCTION IN THE DOWNWARD PHASE OF THE BUSINESS CYCLE IN POLAND

Abstract

The paper is of theoretical and empirical character. Its main objective is to verify two hypotheses that are fundamental to the Austrian business cycle theory. One claims that a restrictive monetary policy causes a shortening of the production structure. The other states that increases in interest rates lead to relative differences in the decline of the output in manufacturing industries that produce goods at different distances from the consumer. The analysis presented in the paper was based on selected indicators and allowed to positively verify both hypotheses. Interest rate increases effected by the National Bank of Poland led to the formation of downward phases of the cycle. During the examined period we observed a decrease in the production time of final goods as well as relative differences in the declines in the output of the manufacturing industries which varied in their distance to the final recipients.