IFDP Paper: Measuring Shortages since 1900
Dario Caldara, Matteo Iacoviello, and David YuThis paper introduces a monthly shortage index spanning 1900 to the present, constructed from 25 million newspaper articles. The index captures shortages across industry, labor, food, and energy, and spikes during economic crises and wars. We validate the index and show that it provides information beyond traditional macroeconomic indicators.