The Luddite fallacy is the mistaken belief that new technology leads to higher overall unemployment in the economy. New technology may cause disruption and some workers to lose their job, but the improved technology will also create jobs in other sectors of the economy – balancing out any jobs lost. Historical background In the early …
The sunk cost fallacy is when we continue an action because of our past decisions (time, money, resources) rather than a rational choice of what will maximise our utility at this present time. For example, because we order a big meal and have paid for it, we feel a pressure to eat all the food. …
The UK, along with many other countries, is experiencing a real cost of living crisis with inflation rising faster than average wages. The cost of living crisis is driven by higher transport costs, and energy and food prices, and this is forecast to continue to worsen over this winter. What are the various policies which …
Definition: Cost-push inflation occurs when we experience rising prices due to higher costs of production and higher costs of raw materials. Cost-push inflation is determined by supply-side factors, such as higher wages and higher oil prices. Cost-push inflation is different to demand-pull inflation which occurs when aggregate demand grows faster than aggregate supply. Cost-push inflation …
Rising petrol, food and energy prices have pushed many households in the UK and around the world into an unprecedented cost of living crisis. In the UK, in March 2022 the ONS reports that 23% of households found it difficult to pay their monthly bills. The cost of living crisis is fundamentally caused by higher …
Inflation is generally controlled by the Central Bank and/or the government. The main policy used is monetary policy (changing interest rates). However, in theory, there are a variety of tools to control inflation including: Monetary policy – Higher interest rates reduce demand in the economy, leading to lower economic growth and lower inflation. Control of …
The best guide to US elections is the state of the economy. If the economy is doing badly with high unemployment and/or higher inflation. The party of the sitting US president tends to get punished by the voters. But, how much influence does the President have on the economy and the rate of inflation? In …
In 2022, the UK economy is struggling with very weak economic growth and one of the highest inflation rates in the OECD. Some of these problems can be attributed to global short-term problems, in particular recovery from Covid lockdowns and rising oil prices which have caused the worst cost-push inflation since the 1970s. However, short-term …