Readers Question: What Happens when Inflation is Higher than Interest Rates? A negative real interest rate means that inflation is higher than interest rates. Therefore, savers will see a fall in the real value of their savings. For example in 2011, CPI inflation was 5%. Bank of England Base interest rates are 0.5% In theory, …
When interest rates were cut to 0.5% in March 2009, few would have predicted that interest rates would have stayed low in UK, US and the Eurozone for so long. Interest rates have stayed at zero for several years – defying several predictions that they will rise soon. Who benefits from low-interest rates and who …
Elasticity is an important concept in economics. It is used to measure how responsive demand (or supply) is in response to changes in another variable (such as price). Price Elasticity of Demand The most common elasticity is price elasticity of demand. This measures how demand changes in response to a change in price. See: Price …
The claimant count records the number of people receiving unemployment benefits from the government. In the UK, the claimant count currently measures everyone who receives Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). To receive JSA, the applicant must be actively seeking work and provide evidence and commitment of efforts to find work. The claimant count method is one …
A niche product is a product targeting a specific section of a larger industry and market. Niche products are often (but not always) more expensive than more generic products. Because niche products are fulfilling a particular specialist demand, we find that demand tends to be more price inelastic. This enables a firm selling niche products …
Supermarkets and other retailers often seek ways to increase the price without losing customers. They have a few different options, depending on the good and its price elasticity of demand. In recent months, many supermarkets have managed cost increases by shrinking the size of the packet. Prices stay the same, but the price per gram …
Readers Question: What are the benefits of “supply-side” economics, particularly for the working class, the middle-class if you will? Supply-side policies encompass a range of different policies that seek to reduce tax rates and government intervention in the economy. In the US, supply-side economics has become synonymous with the Laffer Curve theory and the Reagan …
Readers Question: I would like your help in answering a query of mine………Is foreign exchange rate an indicator of economic growth? No. The foreign exchange rate is determined independently to the economic growth rate. The exchange rate can have an influence on economic growth. And the economic growth rate can influence the exchange rate. But, …