Seigniorage – definition and explanation

Seigniorage is the profit created by issuing currency, where the face value is higher than the intrinsic value. (production costs) Seigniorage income can also relate to the interest a Central Bank charges from lending commercial banks money. Seigniorage explained Early forms of money had a face value equal to the production costs – e.g. gold …

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Definition of Full Employment

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Readers Question: explain how economists define ‘full employment’? The first definition of full employment would be the situation where everyone willing to work at the going wage rate is able to get a job. This would imply that unemployment is zero because if you are not willing to work then you should not be counted …

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Different types of inflation

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Inflation means a sustained increase in the general price level. The main two types of inflation are Demand-pull inflation – this occurs when the economy grows quickly and starts to ‘overheat’ – Aggregate demand (AD) will be increasing faster than aggregate supply (LRAS). Cost-push inflation – this occurs when there is a rise in the …

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Problems in Measuring Inflation

Inflation is a measure of changes in the cost of living. It is calculated by using statistics such as Consumer Price index CPI, retail price index RPI. However, the official inflation rate doesn’t include every price and some consumers may experience different inflation rates. For example, if the price of basic food items increases 50%, …

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Definition of the housing market

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The Housing Market refers to the supply and demand for houses, usually in a particular country or region. A key element of the housing market is the average house prices and trend in house prices. Definitions related to housing market UK nominal house prices – actually monetary value – not adjusted for inflation Real house …

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How is Inflation Calculated?

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Inflation, in the UK, is calculated through measuring changes in the cost of living. The official method is the CPI – Consumer Price Index. CPI Measures the annual % change in price level. Steps for Calculating Inflation Firstly, the government (through ONS) undertake the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). The FES is a voluntary survey of …

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Economic Depression – Definition

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There is no absolutely agreed definition to a depression. But I would define a depression as  A deep and long-lasting period of negative economic growth, with output falling for at least 12 months and GDP falling by over 10%. A depression means the economy experiences a significant fall in output, higher unemployment and disruption to …

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Inflation and Recession

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In a recession, you would usually expect a fall in the inflation rate due to lower demand and lower economic activity. The inflation rate fell in major recessions like 1929-32, 1981, 1991 and 2020.. However, it is not guaranteed inflation will fall in recession. For example, we could have a period of stagflation – rising …

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