Summary – If a country has a higher inflation rate than its competitors, then its good will be increasing in price at a faster rate and therefore, they will become relatively less competitive. It will experience less demand for its exports and therefore less demand for its currency. This will tend to cause a depreciation …
The original Phillips curve suggested there was a trade-off between nominal wages and unemployment. Higher demand led to rising wages and a fall in unemployment. Lower aggregate demand (AD) led to a fall in nominal wages, but a rise in unemployment. This was adapted to suggest a trade-off between unemployment and inflation. During the 1950s …
UK inflation since 1989. Definition – Inflation – Inflation is a sustained rise in the cost of living and average price level. Causes Inflation – Inflation is caused by excess demand in the economy, a rise in costs of production, rapid growth in the money supply. Costs of Inflation – Inflation causes …
Firms generally prefer inflation to be low and stable. If inflation rises above 3 or 4%, firms may see a rise in costs and uncertainty. Inflation can also cause firms problems of rising costs, falling profitability, and a decline in international competitiveness. However, inflation is not necessarily damaging for a firm – especially, if they …
What factors should we consider when setting monetary policy? Basics of monetary policy If inflation is above the target and economic growth too fast, the Bank will likely increase interest rates. Higher interest rates increase the cost of borrowing and reduce investment/consumer spending – leading to a lower rate of economic growth. See more at …
Long-term economic forecasting can be very difficult. A well known joke by John Kenneth Galbraith is: “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” However, although there is some truth in this wisecrack, in the short term, we can be reasonably confident about predictions for inflation. In particular, if we see …
How to judge George Osborne’s and David Cameron’s economic record since May 2010? They inherited an economy recovering from a deep recession, high unemployment and large budget deficit. It was a difficult economic circumstance, but at the same time you might expect a strong economic recovery as there was much unused capacity and potential for …
Economic uncertainty refers to how firms and consumers are unsure about the future direction of the economy and usually react in a more conservative behaviour (i.e. less spending and investment) Economic uncertainty usually causes a lower rate of economic growth, until the uncertainty is resolved. UK economic uncertainty Measuring uncertainty There is no easy …