When I started teaching economics in the early 2000s, I remember quite a few commentators predicting imminent house price falls because house prices were overvalued by historical trends, I used to occasional dip into house price crash forums to see a debate about when prices would fall. Yet, since 2000, even accounting for the financial …
A recession is defined as a period of negative economic growth. However, there can be different causes and types of economic contraction. Different types of recession will influence the length, depth and effects of the recession. These are some of the different types of recessions. Boom and bust recession (e.g. UK 1991/92) – Very high …
When people talk of UK debt, they usually refer to government debt. This is debt the government has borrowed to finance budget deficits (when government spending is greater than taxation revenue) There is also external debt, which is the net amount the UK (private and public sector) owes abroad. This external debt is high (2011, …
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 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 …
What are the implications of an ageing population? An older population presents many challenges to labour markets, government tax, government spending and the wider economy. The Population Timebomb – How An Ageing Population Will Change UsWatch this video on YouTube One of the great achievements of the Twentieth Century is a dramatic rise in life …
Profit-push inflation is when firms use their market power to put up prices, contributing towards inflation. It is a form of cost-push inflation. Profit-push inflation is sometimes known as ‘greed inflation’ and is related to price gouging. Profit push inflation is not the primary cause of inflation, but it can accelerate existing inflationary pressures. Profit-push …
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 …