Revisiting the real exchange rate misalignment‐economic growth nexus via the across‐sector misallocation channel.

This study assesses whether the component of across‐sector labor and capital misallocation induced by real effective exchange rate (REER) misalignments in turn significantly affects economic development. REER imbalances are derived from a Behavioral Equilibrium Exchange Rate model; labor and capital misallocation is measured according to indicators in Ando and Nassar (IMF Working Papers, 2017, 17, 1) and Aoki (Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, 2012, 26, pp. 473–494), on a unique cross‐country cross‐sector national account dataset of 54 countries and 12 sectors over 1980–2015. Both REER over‐ and undervaluations are found to lead to rising across‐sector labor (but not capital) misallocation and, uniquely via this channel, significantly hamper real growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]