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Inflation. AP Macroeconomics Fall 2013. Price Level & Real Income. As long as wages rise with price levels, inflation doesn’t cause harm standard of living Real Wage = Wage rate 100 Price index Real Income = Income 100 Price index. Rate of Price Changes.
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Inflation AP Macroeconomics Fall 2013
Price Level & Real Income • As long as wages rise with price levels, inflation doesn’t cause harm standard of living Real Wage = Wage rate 100 Price index Real Income = Income 100 Price index
Rate of Price Changes • Inflation Rate – overall increase per year Inflation Rate = Price level in year 2 – Price level in base year● 100 Price level in base year Real Wage Increase = Wage rate increase – Inflation rate Significant costs of high inflation rates • Shoe-leather costs – Greater #s of banking transactions • Menu costs – Changing listed prices • Unit-of-account costs – Locked-in contract terms
Winners & Losers from Inflation • Interest rate – Extra percentage that borrowers must pay for the use of money • (Most) contracts lock in a fixed rate • Nominal v. real interest rate Nominal interest rate – inflation rate = Real interest rate • If inflation rate > expected inflation, borrowers win • If inflation rate < expected inflation, lenders win
Disinflation • Disinflation – Willfully bringing down inflation rates • Our government intervenes when inflation rises above 2% • Government policies can depress the economy
Cost-Push Inflation • When universally-important inputs rise in price, this reduces AS and increases price
Demand-Pull Inflation • When AD is greater than AS, this pushes up prices
Calculating/Measuring Inflation • The price index reflects the aggregate price level • Based on “typical consumption” (market basket) Price index = Cost of market basket in Year 2 X 100 Cost of market basket in base year Inflation rate = PI in Year 2 – PI in Year 1 X 100 PI in Year 1
Consumer Price Index • How costs for families changes over time • Based on 1982-1984 • Criticized for not being accurate because of: • Substitutes • Innovation
Other Measures • PPI – Measures costs for producers; responds more quickly than CPI • GDP Deflator – Ratio of nominal GDP to real GDP GDP Deflator = Nominal GDP x 100 Real GDP • All three indexes are closely correlated