Consumer confidence is the outlook that consumers have towards the economy and their own personal financial situation. This outlook can be optimistic (high consumer confidence) or pessimistic (low consumer confidence) The level of consumer confidence will be an important factor that determines the willingness of consumers to spend, borrow and save. A high level of …
The 1920s are sometimes referred to as the ‘roaring twenties’, but for the UK economy, it was a period of depression, deflation and a steady decline in the UK’s former economic pre-eminence. In the US, the economy boomed on the back of mass production techniques, growing efficiency – and increasingly a credit bubble, which would …
After the UK’s decision to leave the EU, what economic problems will it face? Summary of problems Devaluation of Pound Sterling, increasing price of imported goods, such as food, oil, manufacturers and domestic inflation. This cost-push inflation is again putting pressure on real wages. WIth low nominal wage growth – inflation has led to falls …
A recession is defined as a decline in real GDP for two consecutive quarters. An economy is in an official recession after six months of falling national income. A recession will typically lead to higher unemployment, a decline in confidence, falling house prices, decline in investment and lower inflation. However, although that may seem quite …
In a recent post, we looked at the advantages of free movement of labour. But, what about the problems which might arise from free movement of labour? Firstly, free movement of labour depends on the area in question. To make an easy contrast, initially, the EU was free movement of workers between 12 / 15 …
Readers Question: Who lends the government money? Government debt is primarily sold to banks, pension funds, private investors and overseas investors. These financial institutions and individuals effectively lend the government money in return for gaining a safe investment (bond) with a guaranteed interest payment. Approx 27% is ‘lent’ by overseas investors. Investors do not see …
A budget surplus occurs when government tax receipts are greater than government spending. It means the government can either save money or pay off existing national debt. It is worth noting, that budget surpluses are quite rare in the past 120 years. Politicians have sometimes attempted to enshrine budget surplus into law but what are …
A credit rating is a judgement made on the security of government bonds. They are made by credit rating agencies who evaluate several factors and decide on their likelihood of default. A triple-A credit rating implies the bond is secure. A junk bond status implies the government is likely to default. Readers Question: Hello, I …