The Characteristics of Clothing Consumption Expenditures by the Business Cycles in Korea

경기변동에 따른 소비자의 피복소비지출 특성

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the clothing consumption expenditures by the business cycles in Korea during the period of first quarter of 1979 to second quarter of 1998. Business cycles were examined using data GNP from the National Accounts published by the Bank of Korea and clothing expenditures from the monthly statistics of Korea published by the National Statistical Office of Korea. Data were analyzed by regression analysis standard deviation sample cross-correlation coefficient and skewness statistics. The main results are as follows. 1. During the period of 1979.I-1998.II GNP and per-person consumption expenditures for clothing and shoes have continuously increased except during 1980 and the recent depression of the national economy. Clothing expenditures dropped severely during the two recent depression of the national economy. Clothing expenditure dropped severely during the two depression periods. Clothing expenditures were the highest in the fourth quarter and the lowest in the third quarter of the year. 2. According to the results of the regression analysis the business cycles had a significant influence on the clothing expenditures. the volatility of the clothing expenditure was 2.60 times higher than that of the business cycles. 3. Clothing expenditures displayed procyclical fluctuation and coincident movement to the business cycles. Also clothing expenditures showed an unsymmetric behavior over the expansion phases and contraction phases of the business cycles. That is the clothing expenditures increased slowly in the expansion phases and decreased quickly and severely in the contraction phases of the business cycles.