Readers Question: After the insightful post on ‘Italian Economic Decline’, I was particularly captured by the % debt to GDP line graph of the different developed countries. The one thing that really caught my eye was Japan’s huge % debt to GDP and yet their government bond yields are consistently declining. Aren’t the markets worried …
Readers Question: Why are there government spending cuts at a time of rising government spending? One of the confusing elements of ‘austerity’ and government spending cuts is that from one perspective, we can have a rise in total government spending – but some areas of government spending see cuts. Source: ONS Public Sector Finances MF6U …
Supermarkets have strict criteria for the cosmetic appearance of fresh fruit and vegetables. The result of these criteria is that a high percentage (10-40%) of a farmers harvest can be rejected because the vegetables do not meet these standard rules of conformity. This problem of rejected vegetables was highlighted on a recent BBC programme ‘War …
The London housing market is one of the most expensive places in the world. In Sept, 2015, the average London house price is now just under £500,000 (BBC) Since 2013, house prices in London have risen 40%, defying a weak economy and stagnant growth in average earnings. London house prices are 7% higher than the …
The break-even price is the price necessary to make normal profit. It is a price which includes all costs, including variable and fixed costs. At the break-even price, the firm neither makes a loss or profit. The break-even price occurs where AR = ATC The break-even price occurs where Total Revenue = Total Cost (TC) …
When I moved to Oxford in 1995, I don’t remember seeing any coffee shops apart from the odd independent coffee/tea houses. There was no major chain like – Starbucks, Costa, Coffee Republic. Now in 2010, I can visualise at least 10 off the top of my head. Costa coffee shops seem to be springing up …
These are a few interesting graphs which give different perspective on the same situation. i.e. recent economic recoveries – looking at both UK and Spain. Firstly, UK economic growth in the past four years. After weak / negative growth in 2011 and 2012, the UK has been growing at a quarterly rate of approx 0.6%. …
Some of the economic policies of J.Corbyn ‘Corybnomics’ include: Ending austerity / more relaxed rules on budget deficits. People’s Quantitative easing ‘Corbyn’s Quantitative Easing’ Higher taxes on high income earners Renationalisation of railways / energy sector National investment bank / funded by removing corporate subsidies / People’s Q.E. Ending Austerity A frequent economic criticism of …