Macroeconomics Flashcards
GDP
Gross Domestic Product: Total value of all goods and services produced in an economy in a given time (year)
Underlying Inflation rate
Measured by removing volatile items affected by once off events from the normal CPI regimen in order to obtain an inflation rate that is more accurate and reflective of ongoing change in level of prices.
CPI
Consumer Price Index - Measures quarterly changes in retail prices of local and foreign made goods and services. Representing a high proportion of expenditure of metropolitan households living in capital cities.
How Inflation rate can be measured
It is measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, CPI is the most common was of measuring
Regimen of CPI
The range of goods and services included in the basket whose prices are to be measured. 100000 individual items are subdivided into 11 categories.
The eleven categories of CPI
- food
- transportation
- education
- financial and insurance services
- clothing and footwear
- tobacco and alcohol
- recreation
- housing
- health
- communication
- household contents and services
CPI feature: Prices surveyed
A quarterly survey is conducted in a representative range of metropolitan retail outlets from both the private and public sector.
CPI feature: Weighting of Items
Each item is weighted according to its relative importance in overall household expenditure. Reviewed every five years (items more expensive or frequently purchased have a greater bearing on the index trends then items of less significance)
CPI feature: Base year
Price changes over a period of time are compared against the price or cost of the regimen in a representative start year.
Limitations of CPI: Lack of representativeness of the prices
There may be misleading figures/indicators for people who do not live in capital cities as only 100 000 consumer items are chosen that are appropriate for metropolitan households included in the CPI
Limitations of CPI: Weighting limitations of items in the regimen
Weighting of specific items may be inappropriate and unreflective of the actual pattern of expenditure for some categories of households.
Limitations of CPI: The effect of once-off volatile events on the headline inflation rate
The rate of inflation measured by Headline CPI is largely affected by once-off, volatile and sometimes unavoidable events and developments that influences prices.
Limitations of CPI: Other Limitations
Doubts about the appropriates of the base year that has been selected. Unless it is representative, figures could appear relatively more or less favourable.
Alternative ways of measuring Living standards: GPI
Genuine Price Indicator uses GDP data, but makes both negative and positive adjustments to reflect the good or bad effects on societies welfare of different types of activity and spending, this taking some negative externalities and other issues into account.
Alternative ways of measuring Living standards: MAP
Measuring Australia’s Progress is a statistical ‘tool’ used by the A.B.S to examine progress across both material and non-material living standards. By looking at four broad domains which have subsections (dimensions)
The four domains of MAP
- Environment
- Governance
- Society
- Economy
Weakness of MAP
- Living standards cannot be condensed to a single statistic or figure.
- The selections of specific measures is subjective
The goal of Full employment
The goal of full employment describes achieving the lowest possible rate of unemployment without causing inflation. Therefore we aim for zero cyclical unemployment, however, we still have a level of unemployment due to Structural, Frictional, seasonal and Hardcore unemployment
NAIRU
Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment: the lowest possible rate of unemployment that will not significantly accelerate inflation.
Employed person
Aged 15 years and over, who is either working full time or paid part time (more than one hour a week) or has a job but is prevented from working due to illness, strikes, holidays or similar interruptions.
Unemployed person
Aged 15 years and over, who are either looking and unable to find a job, able and willing to take up a job prior to the survey period or waiting to resume work after being laid off or stood down without pay.
The Labour Force
Consists of all individuals aged 15 years and over who are able and willing to work. Includes people who are defined as employed and those unemployed.
Unemployment measures: Underutilisation Rate
Describes the extent to which the labour force is not working to capacity. Includes the unemployment rate plus those who are working part time but would like to work full time or more working hours.
Hidden Unemployment
Those who would like to work but are discouraged from looking for work due to a weak labour market (high unemployment)
The Business Cycle
The wave-like or cyclical pattern created by the various the phases the level of domestic economic activity passes through over a period of time. Includes expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. The government aims to smooth out the business cycle using that budgetary and monetary policies.
Boom/Peak
A period of economic instability where the economy experiences over-full employment and inflation caused by an excessively rapid expansion of aggregate demand.
In a peak (Boom) there is
- low unemployment - good
- high eco growth - bad
- High Inflation - bad
Trough
The lowest point on the business cycle where unemployment is high and production is down.
Contraction
The downturn phase of the business cycle associated with rising unemployment, slowing output levels, often lower inflation, and a stronger current account and exchange rate. Usually caused by a drop in aggregate demand and may lead to a recession or depression depending of severity.
Expansion/Recovery
A period in which levels of national production and employment are rising.