2.1 Measures of economic performance Flashcards

1
Q

Define Economic Growth

A

Economic growth is the rate of change of output . It is an increase in the long term productive potential of the country which means there is an increase in the amount of goods and services that a country produces.

This is typically measured by the percentage change in real GDP per annum . It can also be shown through the shift of PPF.

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2
Q

Define GDP

A

Gross Domestic Product: The standard measure of output, which allows us to compare countries. It is the total value of goods and services produced in a country within a year.

GDP is an indicator of the standard of living in a country

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3
Q

What is the difference between Total GDP and GDP Per Capita?

A

Total GDP represents the overall GDP for the country whilst GDP per capita is the total GDP divided by the number of people in a country.

GDP per capita grows if national output grows faster than population over a given
time period, so there are more goods and services to enjoy per person.

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4
Q

What are the differences between Real Values and Nominal Values?

A
  • Real values can be described as the volume of national income i.e. the size of the basket of goods
  • Whilst nominal values represent the value of the national income i.e. the monetary cost of this basket of goods.
  • The value is equal to the volume times the current price level.
  • The value of national income is its monetary value at the prices of
    the day;
  • the volume is national income adjusted for inflation and is expressed either
    as index number or in money terms.
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5
Q

Define Gross National Income (GNI)

A
  • The total value of goods and services produced by a country over a period of time plus net overseas interest payments and dividends.
  • This means that it adds what a country earns from overseas investments and subtracts what foreigners earn in a country and send back home from the GDP.
    It is affected by profits from businesses owned overseas and remittances sent home by migrant workers.
    This is increasingly used rather than GDP because of the growing size of remittances and aid.

Remittances - The money or goods that migrants send back to families and friends in origin countries

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6
Q

Define Gross National Product (GNP)

A
  • The value of goods and services over a period of time through labour or property supplied by citizens of a country both domestically (GDP) and overseas.
  • This means it is the value of all the goods produced by citizens of a country, whether they live in the country or not,
  • Whilst GDP is the value of all goods produced inside the country, whether they were produced by citizens of the country or not.
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7
Q

How do we make comparisons of growth over time?

A
  • Changing national income levels will show us whether the country has grown or shrunk over a period of time.
  • The data is compared to other countries to put figures in a context over a period of time
  • The figures can also make judgements about economic welfare (A rise in living standards - the economy is producing more goods and services so people have access to more things

It is important to use real, per capita figures. If a country’s population grows over time, then this may cause a rise in GDP without a rise in living standards and so provide inaccurate comparisons. We use real GDP in order to strip out the effect of inflation. Inflation is rising prices and therefore can give the impression of GDP growing without any more services and goods being
produced.

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8
Q

How do we make comparisons of growth between countries?

A

We work out GDP per capita.

  • When countries have a difference in population, a difference in total GDP doesn’t necessarily mean a difference in living standards
  • It is possible for GDP to increase simply because of an increase in prices in the country and inflation is different in every country, so real GDP figures need to be calculated.
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9
Q

Problems of using GDP to compare standard of living:

A
  • Inaccuracy of data: Some countries are inefficient at collecting or calculating data and therefore comparisons can become less effective.
  • There is a ‘ hidden’ or ‘black’ market in which people work without declaring their income to avoid tax or to continue claiming benefits, (GDP is underestimated)
  • GDP does not take into account home-produced services(subsistence farmers)
  • Errors in calculating the inflation rate : real GDP will be slightly inaccurate
  • Methods used to calculate GDP will change and so therefore it
    can be difficult to compare countries overtime. Similarly, different countries
    may use different methods to calculate their GDP.
  • Also, it is important to take away transfer payments, when money is paid to a person without any corresponding increase in output in the economy.(The government taxes people who are employed and then gives it
    to the people who are unemployed.)
    Inequalities: An increase in GDP may be due to a growth in income of just one group of people and so therefore a growth in the national income may not increase living standards everywhere. Income distribution changes overtime and varies
    between countries so makes comparisons difficult.
    ● Quality of goods and services : The quality of goods and services is much higher
    than those fifty years ago, but this is not necessarily reflected in the real price of
    these goods and services. Therefore, living standards may have increased more than
    GDP would suggest since the quality of goods and services has improved greatly.
    Improved technology may allow prices to fall, suggesting falling living standards, when this is not the case.
    ● Comparing different currencies: There are issues over which unit should be used to compare figures
    ● Spending: Some types of expenditure, such as defence, does not increase standard
    of living but will increase GDP. For example, the GDP of the UK was higher during
    the Second World War than in the 1930s because a lot of money was spent on
    defence which increased GDP but it is difficult to argue that standard of living was
    higher in the Second World War. This therefore makes comparisons difficult as
    spending varies overtime and between countries.
    ● There are also many other factors which are involved in living standards, such as education.
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10
Q

Define Inflation

A
  • A general and persistent rise in the price level
  • And a fall in the purchasing power of money
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11
Q

Limitations of CPI

A
  • It is impossible for the figure to take into account every single good that is sold in the country and so therefore the CPI is not totally representative .
  • Different households spend different amounts on each good and so therefore the CPI only measures an average rate of inflation, and is not totally representative
  • Moreover, it does not include housing costs, since this has tended to rise more than the price of other goods, the data may be lower than it should be. The CPIH includes housing costs.
  • Since the figure is more recent than RPI, it is difficult to make comparisons with historical data
  • CPI reflects the ‘Average Family’ - personal inflation rates differ
  • Price fluctuations could distory the CPI (Food + Energy (Gas, electricity and fuel) - Demand and supply are price inelastic
  • Core CPI removes the effect of Food energy and Gas
  • Basket updates may be too slow (once a year) - May miss short term changes in spending habits

Some people argue that all inflation indices overestimate inflation because they don’t take into account the fact that goods and services have improved in quality, and so will obviously be more expensive.

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12
Q

Differences between RPI and CPI:

A
  • RPI includes housing costs such as mortgage and interest payments and council tax, whereas CPI does not.
  • CPI takes into account the fact that when prices rise people will switch to product that has gone up by less. Therefore, the CPI is generally lower than the RPI.
  • RPI excludes the top 4% of income earners and low income pensioners as they are not ‘average’ households whilst CPI covers all households and all incomes.
  • RPI uses an arithmetic mean (CPI - geometric mean which is always lower)
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13
Q

Effects of inflation on Consumers

A
  • If people’s incomes do not rise with inflation then they will have less to spend , which could cause a fall in living standards.
  • Those who are in debt will be able to pay it off at a price which is of cheaper value, but those who are owed money lose because the money they get back is of cheaper value.
  • Consumers who have saved will lose out as their money is worth less.
  • Psychological effects on consumers: because prices are rising, they may feel less well-off, even if their income is rising in line with inflation, and so this may cause them to decrease their spending.
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14
Q

Effects of inflation on Governments

A
  • If the government fails to change excise taxes (taxes at a set amount e.g. £1) in line with inflation then real government revenue will fall.
  • However, if they fail to change personal income tax allowances (the amount a worker can earn tax free) then real government income will increase and taxpayers will have less money.
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15
Q

Effects of inflation on Workers

A
  • If workers do not receive yearly pay rises of the rate of inflation, they will be worse off and their living standard will decrease.
  • Those in weaker unions tend to be most affected as they are unable to win wage rises in line with inflation.
  • Deflation could cause some staff to lose their jobs as there is a lack of demand meaning firms see a fall in profit and have to decrease staff to cut costs.
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16
Q

Effects of inflation on Firms

A
  • If inflation in Britain is higher than other countries, British goods will be more expensive. They will become less competitive and make them more difficult to export. This will also affect the balance of payments.
  • Deflation isn’t good as it encourages people to postpone their purchases as they wait for the price to fall further.
  • People will be more likely to save as the value of their money will rise in the future and they will be prevented from borrowing as deflation means the real value of their debt increases.
  • This can lead to a fall in demand for goods, leading to a fall in firms’ profit, and in business confidence which can lead to a long term reluctance to invest.
  • Firms will have to calculate new prices then change their menus, labelling etc. and this can be expensive.
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17
Q

How can we reduce the effects of infaltion?

A

Some of the costs can be reduced if inflation is anticipated, which will allow groups to plan for the future. This can be done through indexation, so wages or taxes are increased in line with inflation. An example of this is workers negotiating with employers for wage rises in line with the predicted CPI or RPI. However, indexation may in itself further inflation because
wage increases will reflect past increases. Therefore, if inflation has been at 10% previously but the government wants to reduce it to 2%, this will be difficult if workers are still getting a 10% pay rise due to indexation agreements.

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18
Q

What is Indexation?

A

This is where wages or taxes are increased in line with inflation

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19
Q

CPI Summary

A
  • Expenditure survey carried out (By the ONS)
  • A ‘consumer basket’ of most popular goods/services is formed with average prices attatched
  • Prices of these goods/services are weighted based on (%) of income (0-1 For example 0.03 = 3% of income)
  • Weighted prices are added to give the total weighted price of the basket
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20
Q

How do we calculate an index number?

A

(Raw Number/ Base year Raw Number) X 100

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21
Q

Costs of Inflation:

A
  • Lower purchasing power
  • Erosion of savings (Shoe leather costs)
  • Lower exports (comptetitiveness)
  • Wage/consumer price spirals
  • Fiscal drag
  • Inflationary noise
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22
Q

Benefits of Inflation

A
  • Workers recieve higher wages (possibly through bargaining) + Imporves worker’s morale and productivity
  • If inflation is low and stable, consumer consumption is natural
  • Firms are encouraged to increase output if inflation is low and stable - they know they can raise their prices and earn more revenues
  • Can keep unemployment low in a recession
  • Reduces the real value of debt
  • Improvement of Government finances
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22
Q

Define a Recession

A
  • A recession is a significant decline in economic activity that lasts longer than a few months.
  • A sustained period of weak or negative growth in real GDP (output) that is accompanied by a significant rise in the unemployment rate.
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23
Q

What is Nominal GDP?

A
  • In economics, the use of the word nominal refers to the fact that the metric has not been adjusted for inflation
  • Nominal GDP is the actual value of all goods/services produced in an economy in a one-year period
  • There has been no adjustment to the amount based on the increase in general price levels (inflation)
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24
Q

What is Real GDP?

A
  • Real GDP is the value of all goods/services produced in an economy in a one-year period - and adjusted for inflation

Exam Tip - When an exam question uses the phrase ‘at constant prices’ it is referring to real GDP. For example, a question may read, ‘Explain what is meant by a rise in GDP at constant prices’. This requires you to define real GDP and then explain the rise.

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25
Q

What is Purchasing Power Parities (PPP)?

A
  • Purchasing power parity (PPP) is a conversion factor that can be applied to GDP, GNI and GNP
  • It calculates the relative purchasing power of different currencies
  • It shows the number of units of a country’s currency that are required to buy a product in the local economy, as $1 would buy of the same product in the USA
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26
Q

Limitations of Using GDP and GDP per capita for Comparisons

A
  • Lack of information provided on inequality
  • Quality of goods/services
  • Does not include unpaid/voluntary work (Economic activity that does not appear in official figures)
  • Differences in hours worked/Working conditions/Level of damage to the environment and different spending needs)
  • Environmental factors
  • Does not illustrate the extent of income equality - Distribution between the rich and poor
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27
Q

What is an Externality?

A
  • An externality is a cost or benefit that is caused by one party but financially incurred or received by another

A side effect or consequence of an activity that is not reflected in the cost of that activity, and not primarily borne by those directly involved in said activity.

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28
Q

How can GDP be measured?

A

The expenditure approach
* adds up the value of all the expenditure in the economy
* This includes consumption, government spending, investment by firms and net exports (exports - imports)
The income approach
* adds up the rewards for the factors of production used
* Wages from labour, rent from land, interest from capital and profit from entrepreneurship

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29
Q

What is GDP?

A
  • GDP is the value of all goods/services produced in an economy in a one-year period
  • GDP measures the value of production within a country’s borders

  • It does not consider the income earned by its citizens while operating outside of the country
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30
Q

What is Gross National Income (GNI)?

A
  • Measures the income earned by citizens operating outside of the country + the GDP
  • Many citizens employ their resources outside of a country’s borders - and then send the income home
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31
Q

What is Gross National Product (GNP)?

A
  • GDP + income from abroad - income sent by non-residents to their home countries

GNP/capita provides a much more realistic view of a country’s wealth than GDP/capita

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32
Q

Why is using real GDP is a better comparison than nominal GDP?

A

One country may have a much higher rate of economic growth, but also a much higher rate of inflation. Real GDP provides a better comparison

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33
Q

Limitations of CPI *2

A
  • Depending on what households buy the level of inflation for each one can vary significantly
  • As an average, it also ignores regional differences in inflation e.g. London inflation may be much higher than Harrogate inflation
  • One country may use the RPI & another the CPI
  • The CPI does not capture the quality of the products in the basket
  • The CPI only measures changes in consumption on an annual basis
  • The CPI is prone to errors in data collection
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34
Q

Causes of Inflation:

A
  • Demand pull inflation, cost push inflation, an increase in the money supply, & an increase in wages
35
Q

Causes of Inflation

What is Demand pull inflation caused by?

A

Excess demand in the economy

36
Q

Causes of Inflation

What is Aggregate demand?

A
  • The sum of all expenditure in the economy
    AD = Consumption (C) + Investment (I) + Government spending (G) + Net Exports (X-M)
37
Q

Causes of Inflation

What is Short-Run Aggregate Supply (SRAS)?

A

Short run aggregate supply (SRAS) is the total supply provided in the economy at a given average price level

38
Q

Causes of Inflation

Demand Pull Inflation Diagram

A
  • If any of the four components of AD increase, there will be a shift to the right of the AD curve from AD1 → AD2
  • At the original price (AP1), there is now a condition of excess demand in the economy
  • As prices rise, there is a contraction of AD and an extension of SRAS
  • Prices for goods/services are bid up from AP1 → AP2
  • Demand pull inflation has occurred
39
Q

Causes of Inflation

Cost Push Inflation Diagram

Cost push inflation is caused by increases in the costs of production in an economy

A
  • If any of the costs of production increase (labour, raw materials etc.), or if there is a fall in productivity, there will be a shift to the left of the SRAS curve from SRAS1→SRAS2
  • At the original price (AP1), there is now a condition of excess demand in the economy
  • As prices rise, there is a contraction of AD and an extension of SRAS
  • Prices for goods/services are bid up from AP1→AP2
  • Cost push inflation has occurred
40
Q

Causes of Inflation

Changes to the Money supply

A
  • If the Central Bank lowers the base rate, there is likely to be increased borrowing by firms and consumers
  • This will result in an increase in consumption and investment
  • It is likely to lead to a form of demand-pull inflation
  • The Central Bank can also increase the money supply through quantitative easing
  • This will result in increased liquidity and lower interest rates
  • It is likely to lead to a form of demand-pull inflation

Central bank - The governments bank that issues currency and controls the supply of money in the economy
Base Rate - The interest rate at which the central bank lends money to commercial banks
Quantitative easing - Occurs when the central bank purchases securities (bonds) on the open market so as to increase money supply

41
Q

Causes of Inflation

Changes to Wages

A
  • Increased aggregate demand in an economy causes demand-pull inflation
  • Workers now feel less well off as their wages no longer have the same purchasing power
  • Workers may demand wage increases to compensate for the higher prices
  • Those wage increases are now a form of cost push inflation (increased costs of production) and drive prices even higher
  • This economic phenomenon is called a wage-price spiral
42
Q

Effects of Inflation

A
43
Q

Define Purchasing Power

A
  • The amount of goods/services that can be purchased with one unit of the local currency
44
Q

Causes of Cost push inflation

A
  • Rising wages - Also contributes to rising AD
  • Depreciation of the £ - Import prices increase leading to an increase in inflation (In the UK 1/3 of goods are imported.
  • Raw material/Input prices
  • Declining productivity
  • Higher taxes on production or sales
  • Profit / Expectation Push inflation

This is when firms push up prices in expectation of future inflation

45
Q

What is the Quantity Theory of Money ?

A
46
Q

Why does Persistent Inflation occur when money supply (M) grows more rapidly than real output (Y)

A
  • Increase in M (Money Supply) - excess cash held by firms and households
  • Some of that excess cash will be spent increasing AD
  • Some of the cash will be saved - leading to a fall in interest rates
  • This fall in interest rates will also increase AD
  • Prices will increase as a result (Inflation)
47
Q

What does a country’s Labour Force consist of ?

A
  • All workers actively working and the unemployed (who are seeking work)
  • Usually between the ages of 16-65
48
Q

What does a country’s Non - Labour Force consist of ?

A
  • This includes all those not seeking work e.g. stay at home parents, pensioners, school children
  • Economically inactive are those people who are between 16-65 and not working or not seeking work
49
Q

By what two means is unemployment in the UK measured?

A
  • The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Survey
  • The Claimant Count
50
Q

What are the Differences Between the ILO Labour Force Survey and the Claimant Count?

A
51
Q

What causes a person to be Underemployed?

A
  • They want to work more hours than they currently work
  • They are working in a job that requires lower skills than they have e.g. an architect working as a gym instructor
52
Q

How is underemployment linked to Cyclical & Structural unemployment?

A

Underemployment is often a response to cyclical unemployment:
* Workers who have lost their jobs in a weak economy are willing to take part-time jobs or accept roles outside of their main skill base
Underemployment is also a consequence of structural unemployment
* Unless workers retrain and gain new skills, it will be hard for them to gain full employment

53
Q

How do we calculate Unemployment Rate?

A

Total Labour Force = Employed + Unemployed

54
Q

How do we calculate Employment Rate?

A
55
Q

How do we calculate Labour Force Participation Rate?

A
56
Q

Employment/Unemployment

How do we calculate Inactivity Rate?

A
57
Q

What are the effects of unemployment on an Individual?

A
  • Loss of income
  • Health issues
  • Mental instability
  • Sense of failure
  • Martial Failure
  • Increased stress
  • Suicide
58
Q

What are the effects of unemployment on the Goverment?

A
  • Increased spending on Benefits
  • Less Tax Revenue
  • Increased spending on Retraining
59
Q

What are the effects of unemployment on the Economy?

A
  • Increased Crime
  • Vandalism
  • Increased anti-social behaviour
  • Increased Homelesness
60
Q

What are the effects of unemployment on Firms?

A
  • Loss of Sales/Revenue
  • Loss of Output/Production
  • Changes the skill level in the economy
61
Q

Define Net Migration:

A
  • Net migration is the difference between inward migration and outward migration (emigration)

  • Less developed economies generally have net outward migration
  • More developed economies generally have net inward migration
  • More developed economies usually have skilled workers emigrating
  • Emigration - the act of leaving one’s own country to settle permanently in another; moving abroad.
62
Q

Cons of the Claimant Count Survey:

A
  • Difficult to compare between countries (Some countries may not even have unemployment benefits + Conditions to claim benefits may be different)
  • Not everyone will claim
  • Not everyone can claim (Strict conditions)
  • It excludes those who are looking for work but are not eligible (or choose not to) claim any benefits
  • Can be manipulated by the government
  • Lag Time to collect benefits

For these reasons the CC Survey tends to be lower than the LFS

63
Q

Cons of the Labour Force Survey (LFS):

A
  • Sampling errors - small sample in proportion to the total labour force
  • It is also expensive to conduct the survey and examine results
  • Discouraged workers who give up and become economically inactive - Are not counted as unemployed (Hidden Unemployed)
  • The under-employed are counted as fully employed
  • Does not tell us about the disparities in the unemployment rate (conditions of unemployment - Tells us about the underlying structural issues of the economy
64
Q

Advantages of the Calimant Count Survey:

A
  • The data is easy to obtain - You just count the number of people collecting unemployment related benefits
  • There is no cost in collecting the data as it is recorded when people apply for the benefits
  • The data is readily available
65
Q

Advantages of the Labour Force Survey (LFS):

A
  • It is an internationally agreed measure for unemployment so it is easier to make comparisons with other countries
  • It is thought to be more accurate than the CC
  • Includes people who are not eligible for JSA
66
Q

Why do Governments keep track of unemployment figures?

A
  • A high rate of unemployment suggests that an economy is doing badly
  • Unemployment will lead to lower incomes and less spending - This will have an effect on companies too - They might sell fewer goods or need to cut prices and make less profit
  • Unemployment means there’s unused labour in the economy (PPF), so fewer goods and services can be produced
  • It also means the government has extra costs such as welfare benefits, and less revenue because less tax is paid
67
Q

ILO Count Criteria (Labour Force Survey)

A
  • People without a job, who want a job and have actively sough work in the last 4 weeks and are able to start work within the next two weeks
  • Or people who are out of work, and have a job and are waiting to start in the next 2 weeks

The data is used to extrapolate the unemployment rate

68
Q

Causes of Underemployment:

A
  • Flexible Labour Market (Easy to Hire and Fire)
  • Tigheting up of the criteria to claim benefits
69
Q

Causes of Unemployment - Economic Cycle

Cyclical/Demand Deficient Unemployment:

A
  • Cyclical unemployment occurs in times of recesson when demand for labour is low
  • Similar to cyclical, demand deficient unemployment is when the economy is at equlibrium but below full employment (P1,Y1)
70
Q

Causes of Unemployment - Economic Cycle

How to move equilibrium towards Full Employment:

A
71
Q

Causes of Unemployment - Market Distortions

Real Wage Inflexibility + The Welfare Trap / Voluntary Unemployment

A
  • Real Wage inflexibility - Trade Unions or National Minimum Wage can put the labour market into disequilibrium
  • Classical economists would suggest lifting restrictions to allow wages to fall to market clearing levels
  • WT+VE : Workers may choose not to work if the loss of unemployment benefits and increased tax means they are no longer better off or only marginally better off
72
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on the Government and Society

Loss of output for the Economy (PPF):

A
  • Unemployment means a loss of potential output (Represented on the PPF)
  • The opportunity cost of each unemployed person is their foregone output
73
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on the Government and Society

Social Costs of Unemployment:

A
  • Rising unemployment is linked to economic and social deprivation
  • There is a positive relationship with crime and social dislocation (Increased divorce rates, worsening health and lower life expectancy)
  • Areas of high unemployment see a fall in real incomes and a worsening in inequalities of income and wealth
74
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on Firms

Easier employment conditions:

A
  • More competition for jobs so wages fall (Easier for Firms to hire)
  • Increased production and output (Supply curve shifts to the Right)
  • So possibly higher profits
75
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on Firms

Falling demand and lower labour skills:

A
  • Higher unemployment reduces income
  • Reduction in Demand (Demand curve shifts Left)
  • Thus a fall in revenue and profits
76
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on Consumers

Changes in Demand for Normal and Inferior Goods:

A
  • More Demand for Inferior Goods
  • Less Demand for Normal Goods
77
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on Consumers

Loss of Financial Security and Change in Savings Rate?

A
  • The people who have lost their job will suffer an actual loss of income
  • People who are in jobs will feel an increased risk of unemployment
  • People in jobs are less likely to spend and more likely to save
  • The unemployed will eventually lose the ability to save as they draw down on existing savings
  • Income falls but expenditure on essentials remains the same
  • Harder to get credit or borrow therefore an overall lowering of living standards
78
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on Consumers

Reduced Consumer Confidence:

A
  • The loss of financial security and maybe a fall in house prices (Negative Wealth Effect)
  • Will reduce consumer confidence and the propensity to consume
  • ↓(C) - ↓(AD) - ↓(RO)
79
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on The Unemployed

Loss of Skills and lower productivity:

A

Can become discouraged if long-term unemployed
May : Forget and lose skills, Lose Confidence, Cannot keep ut to date with technology

80
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on The Unemployed

Financial Insecurity

A
  • Savings depletion would result in a loss of financial security
  • Risk of losing homes and assets bought on credit
81
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on The Unemployed

Mental Issues

A
  • Could lead to mental health issues + Physical health issues
  • Social Stigma - May worry about judging, Loss of respect from society
  • Standard of living would fall as income falls
  • Loss of standing in family/community
  • Loss of routine
82
Q

Impacts of Unemployment on the Government and Society

Taxes and Benefits

A
  • Each extra person who becomes unemployed stops paying tax and starts recieving benefits.
  • Technically this is not considered a cost to the economy, because the increased cost of benefits is considered a Transfer Payment. However, this does not represent a cost to the tax payer.
  • A smaller number of taxpayers would now have to support more dependents in the populations as unemployment rises
83
Q

Impact of Unemployment on other Macro Objectives Table:

A
84
Q

How would Immigration affect Jobs and Wages?

A
  • If the immigrants are substitutes for domestic workers, it could lead to lower wages and unemployment for existing workers
  • If they have complementary skills, the flow would be beneficial to the domestic economy, raising National Income
  • Immigration will also expand demand for goods and services thus increasing investment, wages and employment in the long term
  • This is more likely to happen during periods of growth and less so during downturns
85
Q

What are the Negatives of Deflation?

A
  • Contributes to lower economic growth:
    Deflation increases the real value of debt – and therefore reducing the spending power of firms and consumers.
  • Also, falling prices can discourage spending as consumers delay their purchases
  • This can result in economic decline and increasing rates of unemployment.