The Conflict Between Inflation And Unemployment

The United States is slowly losing its economic stability due to the problem of inflation. Inflation is the general increase in prices and fall

In any economy, no matter whether it is controlled by the government or by free markets, people need to work in order to support it. The government does not generate tax revenue by magic. There have to be people in that economy earning an income to ensure that the government continues to collect taxes. In a free market economy, the same applies because there are some services which only an organized government can supply (such as protection from extra-national threats), but there also those which the people get for themselves because of the working of the markets. In any scenario, unemployment is, at the very least, a drag on the economy, and it can be much worse. This paper examines how the unemployment rate in the United States is underreported, and how that fact effects the sluggishness of the present economy.

There is an old cliché that say “the more money you make, the more you spend.” How accurate is this statement? What effects does wage increases, have on inflation? Lately the topic of discussion conveys the matter of minimum wage increases sparking an increase the cost of living. The individuals who would not receive pay raises; but will be affected by cost of living increases as well as labor costs, do not want to see the wages go up. However there are people scrambling to survive on minimum wage or slightly more, while other individuals struggle to feed their families every month. The other side of the debate is the wealthier population feels the lower income population needs work harder to move up the corporate ladder in order to earn more money. While the individuals themselves feel they should be making more money for the work they currently do and services they provide. In this paper, I will cover subject matter pertaining to the many different aspects that come along with wage increases. After analysis of all of the information the choice will be made whether to side with wage increases based on the opinions of individuals on both sides of the argument. Also I will highlight what will be best for the economy and in my opinion what is best for the people.

1. What is inflation? Inflation is an increase in prices for goods and services (What is Inflation?).

There is always some unemployment resulting from workers failing to hook up with potential employers due to imperfect information. However, neither the demands nor supplies of labor nor the pattern of information among firms and employees is affected by inflation. Hence, inflation cannot affect the level of employment and unemployment and the Phillips curve is as shown. Both inflation and deflation have no affect on unemployment and output. Therefore, from this standpoint, all rates of inflation are optimal. Inflation simply does not matter.

The United States inflation rates are a problem, if the government were to control them then the United States would flourish from a “B+” economy to a “A” economy. In the United States (September, 2015) consumer prices went up 1.5%,

Inflation is an increase in the average overall price for goods or services while deflation is the decrease of average overall price for goods and services. Inflation always produces the effect of reducing the value of money and reduces the value of future monetary obligations. Reducing the value of money means a consumer has less money to buy services or goods. Reducing the value of future monetary obligations means investing or lending becomes more restricted as the value of return will be less than the amount paid back. Economist Arthur Okun analyzed the relationship between Unemployment and the GDP statistical. Okun’s law simply states that with rising unemployment there is a relationship of slow growth. Unemployment is a person looking for work and unable to find work. Deflation is the value of any amount of money rises. Deflation makes borrowers less likely to borrow because the value of the money they have to pay back will raise.

Minimum wage is typically favored by society and seen as a way to raise the incomes of those under or at the poverty level, but despite it’s good intentions it at its current levels it barely keeps many families out of poverty. (Sharp, et al., 2013., p. 76) According to the Pew Research Center the Federal when adjusted for inflation the minimum wage peaked in 1968 and has lost 8.1% of it’s purchasing power. (Desilver, 2015.) Though minimum wage is not an effective tool of improving distribution of income or necessarily a good anti-poverty tool. (Sharp, et al., 2013., pp. 87, 89) Despite a minimal increase in 2009 the minimum wage still does not reflect the change in inflation since the end of the 1960s and should rest around $12. (Desilver,

When is the last time we experienced deflation (prices actually dropped- you will have to go back a few decades)?

Why is inflation bad for the American economy? Imagine going into the popular local food market or gas station several times a week. After a couple of weeks, imagine going into these stores and noticing the prices have steadily increased over the past few months. This is called inflation, and it is causing many problems in the United States. There are three different types of inflation: demand-pull, cost-push, and built-in. Demand-pull inflation occurs when prices increased because of such high demand. Cost-push inflation is when prices surge resulting from high input costs. Built-in inflation is when prices continue to rise after any natural causes. The inflation occurring in America is a demand-pull. Inflation has affected the United

Inflation is an increase in price levels within an economy. Basically it means that you will have to pay more for the same goods. Unemployment is even more straightforward. It means that a person is available for employment but is unable to find employment. Lastly, the unemployment rate, which is the percentage of potential workers that are unemployed, is used to measure unemployment (Mankiw 1992).

Inflation is a possible cause of higher unemployment in the medium term if one country experiences a much higher rate of inflation than another, leading to a loss of international competitiveness and a subsequent worsening of their trade performance. If inflation in the UK is persistently above our major trading partners, British exporters may struggle to maintain their share in overseas markets and import penetration into the UK domestic market will grow. Both trends could lead to a worsening balance of payments. The UK government believes that monetary stability (i.e. low inflation) is a precondition for sustained economic expansion.  As the chart below demonstrates, the UK has made progress in reducing the volatility of its inflation rate in the last decade. The era of high and volatile inflation may have come to an end.

There are different influences that cause inflation such as energy, food, commodities, and other goods and services. The entire economy is affected by rise of the cost of living. It also affects the cost of operating a business, borrowing money, mortgages, corporate and government bond yields, and every other aspect of the economy. There are several advantages of inflation in the economy. Some include moderate rates of inflation which allows prices to adjust. This is considered a sign of a healthy economy. With economic growth available we usually get a generous amount of inflation. Also moderate inflation rate reduces the actual value of debt. If there is a reduction, the real value of debt increase leads to a squeeze on usuable income.

I Poonam Pillai hereby declare that the term paper report titled study on Inflation in India that I have submitted is original. I was in regular contact with nominated guide and contacting him for discussing the project.

Discuss the role of government policy in reducing unemployment and inflation. In your discussion make use of the diagrammatic representation of the macroeconomy developed in lectures in Term 2