Topic: Inflation

Hyperinflation

– April 8, 2010

“Inflation is a sustained increase in the aggregate price level. Hyperinflation is very high inflation. Although the threshold is arbitrary, economists generally reserve the term ‘hyperinflation’ to describe episodes when the monthly inflation rate is …

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“Unemployment and Inflation Inch Up in Europe”

– March 31, 2010

“The unemployment rate in the euro area inched up to touch double digits in February, while inflation accelerated more than economists had forecast, probably a result of higher food and oil prices, according to data released Wednesday. Eurostat, the Eu …

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The Seigniorage Curse

– March 31, 2010

“The Seigniorage Curse appears to hollow out the economy by the following manner: First, the premium charged to holders of dollars becomes a new source of accrued, aggregate revenue. This extra capital flowing into the economy is initially seen as a gl …

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Monetary Policy in a World of Uncertain Productivity Growth

– March 25, 2010

“This paper considers inflation forecasts for 2001 under two different assumptions about productivity growth. One assumption, the optimistic one, is that productivity growth has risen above its long-run historical average and that 2001 will see near pr …

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Inflation

– March 24, 2010

“Inflation rates vary from year to year and from currency to currency. Since 1950, the U.S. dollar inflation rate, as measured by the December-to-December change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), has ranged from a low of −0.7 percent (1954) to a …

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“Something Besides Money Growth Causes Inflation?”

– March 17, 2010

“Some economic phenomena can result from a variety of causes. A temporary increase in unemployment, for example, might be caused by a sudden, disruptive change in production technology, or in trade patterns, or in labor or tax laws; or it could be caus …

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How Does Obamacare Affect Your Money?

– March 5, 2010

Last August, Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor for National Review magazine and a contributor to many leading newspapers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, published a Time article on Obamacare and its paradoxes. O …

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“Inflation Alert”

– March 3, 2010

“The 1970s was a decade of stagflation — the concurrence of a rising inflation rate and stagnant economic growth. The U.S. economy has not now reached the double-digit inflation rate (almost 15% by 1981), or the 9% unemployment rate, experienced back t …

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“Japan’s Central Banker Rejects Setting Inflation Target”

– February 19, 2010

“Inflation targeting has become a favored policy among many central banks world-wide, but the BOJ has resisted it, fearing Japan’s strong downward bias in prices would prevent the bank from ever raising interest rates. Instead it has relied on a softer …

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“Australia Under Threat From US Economic Policy”

– February 17, 2010

“Australia’s inflation target band is a touch higher and more flexible than those of most other advanced economy central banks, such as the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target. But this has still delivered relatively stable and low inflation in the fac …

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“China Cools Lending Pace”

– January 29, 2010

“China hopes cooling the pace of lending will keep its economy growing without creating inflation and overheating.” See the CNN video here. “China Cools Lending Pace” CNN, January 25, 2010.

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Price “Stability” for Venezuela

– January 13, 2010

In something of a reversal of the usual government policies to keep prices high, the government of Venezuela is going to great lengths to keep prices low, even in the face of inflation. According to CNN, The Venezuelan bolivar currency, which had been …

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