Do recessions permanently change output?*

This paper examines whether negative innovations to GNP are more or less persistent than positive innovations. We find that once we allow for the impulse response ofGNP to be asymmetric, negative innovations to GNP are observed to be much less persistent than positive ones. In particular, the effect of a recession on the forecast of output is found to be negligible after only eight to twelve quarters, while the effect of a positive shock is estimated to be persistent and amplified over time. Our results may therefore help reconcile two antagonistic views about the nature of business cycle fluctuations.