Social scientists rarely take full advantage of the information available in their statistical results. As a consequence, they miss opportunities to present quantities that are of greatest substantive interest for their research and express the appropriate degree of certainty about these quantities. In this article, we offer an approach, built on the technique of statistical simulation, to extract the currently overlooked information from any statistical method and to interpret and present it in a reader-friendly manner. Using this technique requires some expertise,

This paper argues that probability forecasts convey information on the uncertainties that surround macro-economic forecasts in a straightforward manner which is preferable to other alternatives, including the use of confidence intervals. Probability forecasts obtained using a small benchmark macroeconometric model as well as a number of other alternatives are presented and evaluated using recursive forecasts generated over the period 1999q1-2001q1. Out of sample probability forecasts of inflation and output growth are also provided over the period 2001q2-2003q1, and their implications discussed in relation to the Bank of England’s inflation target and the need to avoid recessions, both as separate events and jointly. The robustness of the results to parameter and model uncertainties is also investigated by a pragmatic implementation of the Bayesian model averaging approach.

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This paper argues that probability forecasts convey information on the uncertainties that surround macro-economic forecasts in a straightforward manner which is preferable to other alternatives, including the use of confidence intervals. Probability forecasts obtained using a small benchmark macroeconometric model as well as a number of other alternatives are presented and evaluated using recursive forecasts generated over the period 1999q1-2001q1. Out of sample probability forecasts of inflation and output growth are also provided over the period 2001q2-2003q1, and their implications discussed in relation to the Bank of England’s inflation target and the need to avoid recessions, both as separate events and jointly. The robustness of the results to parameter and model uncertainties is also investigated using Bayesian model averaging techniques.

This publication primarily presents economic research aimed at improving policymaking by the Federal Reserve System and other governmental authorities.