A recession (fall in national income) will typically be characterised by high unemployment, falling average incomes, increased inequality and higher government borrowing. The impact of a recession depends on how long it lasts and the depth of the fall in output. The main costs of a recession will be: Unemployment Fall in income – shorter …
Readers Question: What is the impact of persistent national debt on economic growth? Source: IMF (2012) In summary, there is no obvious link between national (public sector) debt and levels of economic growth. Both UK and US finished the Second World War with high levels of national debt – but this did not prevent rapid …
Readers Question: Why do countries that experience a boom risk losing international competitiveness? An economic boom implies that an economy is growing above its long term trend rate. This means that the rate of economic growth is high, but there tend to be inflationary pressures because demand is growing faster than supply. The impact of …
1970s – The Decade That Nearly BROKE BritainWatch this video on YouTube Rubbish piled on the streets, record levels of strikes, an IMF bailout and runaway inflation. The 1970s has gone down in the popular imagination as a dark time, literally in the case of the 3-day week, when lights were turned off, but …
America is the richest country in the world, but America is also a story of two economies. Since 1980, real GDP has increased 300%, someone is definitely getting rich. But, it isn’t the average worker, because in the same period median wages have barely increased. In recent years, the US economy has outperformed the rest …
We Can’t Afford a Trump Trade WarWatch this video on YouTube In 1930, the US economy entered a deep recession and President Hoover responded by passing the Smoot Hawley tariff bill which saw average US tariffs almost double. The aim was to help US manufacturers from foreign competition. But, the bill was a disaster, …
Since 2019, The German economy has gone into an unexpected decline, posting the 2nd worst performance in Europe. GDP is stagnant, the car industry in decline, real wages falling and discontent rising. For many decades, Germany was the powerhouse of the European economy with rapid growth transforming living standards, but this has come to a …
In the past four decades, China has undergone a genuine economic miracle. 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty, through economic growth that has often averaged close to 10%. China’s rise has changed the world. Our shops are flooded with cheap Chinese consumer goods, and many of our factories closed down. China went …