Readers question: Who are the winners and losers from free trade? Free trade means that firms can export and import goods without tariff barriers. Free trade leads to lower prices and increased exports and imports. Economists are generally agreed that free trade leads to a net gain in economic welfare; as a result, economists generally …
The Laffer Curve states that if tax rates are increased above a certain level, then tax revenues can actually fall because higher tax rates discourage people from working. Equally, the Laffer Curve states that cutting taxes could, in theory, lead to higher tax revenues. It starts from the premise that if tax rates are 0% …
The gig economy refers to the segment of the labour market which concentrates on short-term / temporary jobs and contracts. Often these workers can have more than one job, e.g taxi driver who works both for a traditional taxi company and Uber. Like a musician who goes from one gig to the next, the gig …
Profit is the surplus revenue after a firm has paid all its costs. Profit can be seen as the monetary reward to shareholders and owners of a business. In a capitalist economy, profit plays an important role in creating incentives for business and entrepreneurs. For an incumbent firm, the reward of higher profit will encourage …
A look at the economic impact of an increase in the supply of female workers in labour markets. In summary: Increased female labour market participation will lead to increase in supply of labour, and in theory, could lead to lower wages. However, a gradual increase in female labour market participation is often in response to …
A look at the benefits and costs of capital flows.
An inflation target means the Central Bank has the objective to use monetary policy in order to keep inflation close to an agreed level (e.g. 2%) If inflation is forecast to rise above the target, they are likely to increase interest rates to moderate demand and slow down inflationary pressures. If the Central Bank is …
Since the 1980s, UK train travel has increased sharply. Despite above-inflation price increases, demand for travel by train continues to grow. This is due to several factors including – economic growth, congestion on roads, higher rents in city centres, causing more demand for commuting. Three interesting graphs from Social Trends vol 40. Source: Office of …