Measuring Inflation and Unemployment Flashcards
Inflation
Increase in prices in economy and decrease in the purchasing power of money. Measures an increase in the cost of living
How people protect themselves against inflation?
They demand higher wages, invest in assets вклады that earn interest or increase in value over time. Cash doesn’t protect money against inflation
Does Treasury inflation-protected security pay fixed interest?
Yes, it does
What can cause inflation?
Demand factors, supply shocks and government policy
Price level
It is the average of current prices across the entire spectrum of goods and services. Absolute level of a price index, whether it is the consumer price index (CPI, retail price), the producer price index (PPI, wholesale prices), GDP deflator.
Rate of inflation
The percentage increase in prices over a 12-month period
Disinflation
Reduction in the rate of inflation
Deflation
Decline in overall prices throughout the economy
What is used to measure the inflation?
Consumer price index CPI, producer price index PPI and GDP deflator
Consumer price index CPI
Index of the average prices paid by urban consumers CPI-U and urban wage earners and clerical workers CPI-W for a clerical basket of consumer goods and services. CPI=(market basket cost in current period/market basket cost in base period)x100
Market basket
Selection of goods that are constantly purchased and sold
What does cost of living index compare?
It compares the cost of maintaining the same standard of living in the current and base periods
Cost of goods index
Meadow the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers
What does Bureau of labour statistics (BLS) include?
Consumer expenditure survey, telephone point of purchase survey and census data данные переписи to measure changes in consumer prices
What formula is used to calculate the percentage change in price?
% change in price = ((CPI in current year/CPI in original year)х100)-100
What isn’t included in CPI?
Public goods (national defence spendings), environment, homeland security, life expectancy, crime rates, climate change, product substitution
Why does CPI tend to overstate inflation?
Fixed market basket = Product substitution, quality improvements, new products
Personal consumption expenditures
Another measure of inflation. Uses a system that adjust the weights for different categories of goods and uses actual sales data
Producer price index PPI
Index of the average prices received by domestic producers for their output. It measures the net revenue accruing начисляющийся to a representative firm for a specific products. Excise taxes are excluded. Rebate offers or zero-interest loans are included. The products measured are the same from month to month, so PPI has same problems as CPI (quality changes, deleted products, manufacturers existing the industry)