In 2009, US and EU unemployment rates both stood at 10% – but since then EU unemployment has increased to 12% and US unemployment fallen to 7.9%. (see: US v EU unemployment) These contrasting fortunes in unemployment are a reflection of diverging rates of economic growth. Whilst, Europe has entered a double dip recession, the …
One of the most talked about issues in US politics is the US fiscal cliff. The fiscal cliff refers to the situation at the end of 2012, where a series of tax increases and spending cuts (worth $600bn) are due to come into force automatically. This amounts to This will reduce the budget deficit, but …
Casey B. Mulligan, from the University of Chicago suggests a theory for a major cause of the great recession and the rise in US unemployment post 2008. – Higher welfare payments. ..Redistribution, or subsidies and regulations intended to help the poor, unemployed, and financially distressed, have changed in many ways since the onset of the …
Readers Question I was wondering if you have any graphs plotting UK GDP and Unemployment against other economies which have monetary independence and their own currency. I often see graphs comparing the US with the UK. Are there any which include Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and other countries? click to enlarge Economic growth rates for selected countries. …
Recent unemployment data from the US shows a sharp fall in the unemployment rate. EU unemployment remains stuck at 11.4% – the highest since the introduction of the Euro in 1999. The diverging unemployment rates highlight the different stages of economic recovery between the two economic zones. However, sluggish EU recovery and a continued EU …
When President Holland was elected in the summer, he suggested that Europe would turn against austerity and promote economic recovery as the most important objective. However, despite his early promises, the French budget is strongly deflationary. Given the state of the current French and Eurozone economy, this budget is likely to push France into prolonged …
There’s a wonderful Monty Python sketch where a waiter asks a fat man, ‘just a wafer thin mint, sir?’. On taking this wafer thin mint, the fat man (Mr Creosote) explodes. It feels a little like that with European austerity (except in reverse). Countries in the periphery implement austerity, and the economic situation deteriorates. This …
What explains the difference between UK and US economic growth rates since the start of the crisis in late 2007? Firstly, the recession was slightly deeper in the UK with a 6% fall in real GDP during 2008. Possibly, the recession was deeper in the UK because of our greater reliance on the financial sector. Since …