Real wage inflation means an increase in average earnings adjusted for inflation. See also: Real wages Rising real wages means an increase in living standards and greater purchasing power of consumers. In the past decade, many economies such as US and UK have witnessed stagnant real wage growth. A rise in real wages would be …
Definition: Economic inactivity means that people (aged 16-64) are not involved in the labour market – they are neither working or actively seeking employment. Economic inactivity includes students, early retirees and the long-term sick. There are 8.5 million counted as economically inactive in the UK. The unemployed who are seeking working and willing and able …
In the UK, house prices have shrugged off both the credit crunch and the longest recession on record. After a blip in 2007-08, house prices are at record levels. It means that UK house prices are relatively very expensive; UK house price to earning ratios are amongst the highest in the developed world. Unfortunately, there …
The throw-away economy refers to the prevalence of consumer goods which only last for a short period of time. When they stop working / no longer relevant, we throw them away and replace them with new goods. This is in contrast to an economy where resources are more scare – and if a good is …
Inflation is a measure of changes in the cost of living. It is calculated by using statistics such as Consumer Price index CPI, retail price index RPI. However, the official inflation rate doesn’t include every price and some consumers may experience different inflation rates. For example, if the price of basic food items increases 50%, …
The most common method for measuring living standards is using GDP per capita. This is national income divided by population and gives a rough guide to average incomes. High real GDP per capita indicates citizens are able to purchase more goods and services. World Map of GDP per Capita GDP per Capita. Source: Source: IMF …
HS2 is a proposed new railway line linking London Euston to Birmingham and in the second phase – Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and eventually Scotland. Supporters of high-speed rail argue it is necessary to meet the UK’s rapidly growing demand for travel. High-speed rail will provide the greenest, safest and most efficient form of transport. The …
In the post-war period, the UK labour market has seen many fundamental changes. In particular, we have seen a decline in full-time manual labour manufacturing jobs, and a growth in labour market flexibility. The current labour market is more diverse with more people working in self-employment, part-time jobs, zero hour contracts. De-industrialisation Since the early …