The main macroeconomic objectives of the government will include: low inflation, increasing the sustainable rate of economic growth full employment and balance of payments equilibrium. Full employment involves zero or very low unemployment. In practice, there will always be some frictional unemployment as people are looking for new jobs or leaving school. Economists suggest an …
Nearly all economists advise keeping inflation low. Low inflation contributes towards economic stability – which encourages saving, investment, economic growth, and helps maintain international competitiveness. Governments usually target an inflation rate of around 2%. This moderate but low rate of inflation is considered the best compromise between avoiding the costs of inflation but also avoiding …
Definition: Real wage unemployment occurs when wages are set above the equilibrium level causing the supply of labour to be greater than demand. Classical unemployment of Q1-Q2 caused by a wage NMW above the equilibrium. Classical economists argue the solution is to cut wages to reduce unemployment. For example, a fall in demand for labour …
The Neo-classical synthesis (also referred to as the neo-Keynesian theory) refers to the post-war macroeconomic development which combined elements of Keynesian macroeconomics with more classical microeconomic theory. (This is not relevant for A-Level economics, you may be relieved to know) Up until the 1930s, economics had been dominated by classical economists who argued that markets …
Deflation means a fall in prices (a negative inflation rate). Though policymakers should generally be concerned if there is an inflation rate less than the target of 2%. For example, in the Eurozone Jan 2015, the headline inflation rate is -0.2%. Even if we strip away volatile prices like oil, core inflation is 0.8%. …
A list of the major recessions in UK and US. List of Recessions in UK Comparing different recessions 1919-21 Recession GDP fell 25% during the three years following the end of the First World War. Unemployment rose to 20% UK experienced deflation of 10% in 1921, and 14% in 1922 Causes of fall in GDP …
Definition A positive feedback loop is a situation where two events are mutually reinforcing. With this situation, a small change in one input can cause a bigger final increase in both the initial input and the secondary effect. Suppose, there is a rise in demand for buying a commodity. This rise in demand leads to …
In 2007, EU economies, on the surface, seemed to be doing relatively well – with positive economic growth and low inflation. Public debt was often high, but (apart from Greece) it appeared to be manageable assuming a positive trend in economic growth. However, the global credit crunch (see: Credit crunch explained) changed many things. Impact …