Inflation measures how much the price of goods and services have increased over a period of time; and will have a significant impact on changes in the cost of living. An inflation rate of 5% means that on average the typical household basket of goods (e.g. food, TVs) and services (haircut, restaurant meal) is 5% …
Summary Natural gas is a key raw material for heating and electricity generation, therefore higher prices will significantly increase the cost of living, increase inflation and could slow down economic growth. In the long term, higher gas prices will encourage consumers to find alternatives and firms to increase supply (e.g. fracking for natural gas), but …
Recessions (a fall in real GDP) are primarily caused by a fall in aggregate demand (AD). A demand-side shock could occur due to several factors, such as A financial crisis. If banks have a shortage of liquidity, they reduce lending and this reduces investment. A rise in interest rates – increases the cost of borrowing …
The output gap is a measure of the difference between actual output (Y) and potential output (Yf). A positive output gap means growth is above the trend rate and is inflationary. A negative output gap means an economic downturn with unemployment and spare capacity The output gap = Y- Yf Diagram for Output Gap The …
Inflation means there is a sustained increase in the price level. The main causes of inflation are either excess aggregate demand (AD) (economic growth too fast) or cost-push factors (supply-side factors). Summary of the main causes of inflation Demand-pull inflation – aggregate demand growing faster than aggregate supply (growth too rapid) Cost-push inflation – For …
The Balance of Payments is a record of a country’s transactions with the rest of the world. It shows the receipts from trade. It consists of the current and financial account. UK current account 1955-2018 1. Current account This is a record of all payments for trade in goods and services plus income flow it …
A look into the effect of higher oil prices on economies, firms and consumers. Effect of Higher Oil Prices on the EconomyWatch this video on YouTube Readers Question: With oil prices rising towards $100, what are the economic effects of rising oil prices? In the short term, higher oil prices will lead to higher …
Is there a link between government debt and the interest rate on government bonds? One argument we often hear is that if government borrowing increases – we can expect higher bond yields. Investors demand higher yields to compensate for the risk of government default. However, other economists argue this is misleading. If inflation is low, …