I've just completed a new research paper that surveys the history of the oil industry with a particular focus on the events associated with significant changes in the price of oil. Here I report the paper's summary of oil market disruptions and economic downturns since the Second World War. Every recession (with one exception) was preceded by an increase in oil prices, and every oil market disruption (with one exception) was followed by an economic recession.I owe someone a hat tip but can't recall which reader this post dropped out of.
The table above itemizes the particular postwar events that are reviewed in detail in my paper. The paper also provides the following summary discussion...MUCH MORE (read the comments)
Summary of significant events since World War II. Source: Hamilton (2011). Gasoline
shortagesPrice
increasePrice
controlsKey
factorsBusiness cycle
peakNov 47-Dec 47 Nov 47-Jan 48
(37%)no
(threatened)strong demand,
supply constraintsNov 48 May 52 Jun 53
(10%)yes strike,
controls liftedJul 53 Nov 56-Dec 56
(Europe)Jan 57-Feb 57
(9%)yes
(Europe)Suez Crisis Aug 57 none none no --- Apr 60 none Feb 69 (7%)
Nov 70 (8%)no strike, strong demand,
supply constraintsDec 69 Jun 73
Dec 73-Mar 74Apr 73-Sep 73
(16%)
Nov 73-Feb 74
(51%)yes strong demand,
supply constraints,
OAPEC embargoNov 73 May 79-Jul 79 May 79-Jan 80
(57%)yes Iranian revolution Jan 80 none Nov 80-Feb 81
(45%)yes Iran-Iraq War,
controls liftedJul 81 none Aug 90-Oct 90
(93%)no Gulf War I Jul 90 none Dec 99-Nov 00
(38%)no strong demand Mar 01 none Nov 02-Mar 03
(28%)no Venezuela unrest,
Gulf War IInone none Feb 07-Jun 08
(145%)no strong demand,
stagnant supplyDec 07
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
"Oil shocks and economic recessions"
Sophisticated stuff from Econbrowser: