A recession is a period of negative economic growth. In a recession, we see falling real GDP, falling average incomes and rising unemployment. This graph shows US economic growth 2001-2016. The period 2008-09 shows the deep recession, where real GDP fell sharply. Other things we are likely to see in a recession 1. Unemployment The …
Readers question: What is Austerity? Simple definition of Austerity Austerity involves policies to reduce government spending (or higher taxes) in order to try and reduce government budget deficits – during a period of weak economic growth. Austerity policies are often associated with higher unemployment and lower economic growth. Austerity policies (and automatic stablisers) have reduced …
Definition: The Terms of Trade is the average price of exports / by the average price of imports. It is a measure of a countries relative competitiveness. If export prices rise relative to import prices, we say there has been an improvement in the terms of trade. – A unit of export buys relatively …
Readers Question: my question is whether economic instability means high and fluctuated inflation, employment and unsustainable growth or has other definition? Economic instability can take various forms. In recent years, we have witnessed a few examples of this. The main types of instability are: Inflation – The cost-push inflation of the 1970s. In extreme cases, …
Shrinkflation occurs when firms reduce the size or quantity of a good and keep prices the same. Shrinkflation is as an alternative to inflation. Rather than increasing prices you get a smaller quantity. To buy the same quantity you have to spend more. Recently, it has received a lot of press attention, and The OED …
UK inflation since 1989. Definition – Inflation – Inflation is a sustained rise in the cost of living and average price level. Causes Inflation – Inflation is caused by excess demand in the economy, a rise in costs of production, rapid growth in the money supply. Costs of Inflation – Inflation causes …
A devaluation (depreciation) occurs when the exchange rate falls in value. This causes exports to be cheaper and imports to be more expensive. In theory, it can help increase economic growth, though it may cause inflation. In theory, a devaluation will cause the following to happen: The price of UK exports will be lower in …
Definition of beggar my neighbour policy: This is an economic policy that seeks to promote a country’s economy at the expense of another country. It assumes that economics is a zero-sum game. In other words, if you want more income, you have to take it from other countries. It should be noted that most economists …