Traditionally, the key measures of economic performance in macroeconomics include: Economic growth – real GDP growth. Inflation – e.g. target CPI inflation of 2% Unemployment – target of full employment Current account – satisfactory current account, e.g. low deficit. Other measures of economic performance can include: Government borrowing/national debt Real disposable incomes Income inequality (Gini …
Supply-side policies are government attempts to increase productivity and increase efficiency in the economy. If successful, they will shift aggregate supply (AS) to the right and enable higher economic growth in the long-run. There are two main types of supply-side policies. Free-market supply-side policies involve policies to increase competitiveness and free-market efficiency. For example, privatisation, …
How does a recession/economic downturn influence how firms will set the price of goods and services? A recession is a period of negative economic growth – falling real incomes and rising unemployment. In a recession, consumers are likely to have lower income and be more sensitive to prices. There is also the threat of unemployment …
The business or trade cycle relates to the volatility of economic growth, and the different periods the economy goes through (e.g. boom and bust). There are many different factors that cause the economic cycle – such as interest rates, confidence, the credit cycle and the multiplier effect. Some economists also point to supply side explanations, …
Readers question: what are the advantages and disadvantages of devaluation? Devaluation is the decision to reduce the value of a currency in a fixed exchange rate. A devaluation means that the value of the currency falls. Domestic residents will find imports and foreign travel more expensive. However domestic exports will benefit from their exports becoming …
A look at the economic impact of a fall in the exchange rate (termed depreciation or devaluation) A fall in the exchange rate is known as a depreciation in the exchange rate (or devaluation in a fixed exchange rate system). It means the currency is worth less compared to other countries. When there is a …
A minimum wage is a legal minimum for workers. It means workers are guaranteed a certain hourly wage – helping to reduce relative poverty. However, a minimum wage could have potential disadvantages – in particular, there is the risk of creating unemployment as firms cannot afford to employ workers. “It has always been a mystery …
A look at the main macroeconomic objectives (economic growth, inflation and unemployment, government borrowing) and possible conflicts between these different macro-economic objectives. The main macro-economic objectives Economic growth – positive and sustainable growth (The UK, long-run trend rate is around 2.5%) Low inflation (UK target 2% +/-1) – Low unemployment / Full employment (e.g. around …