Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-1 Six Key Economic Variables Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) –is corrected for changes in the price level (real) –includes the replacement of worn-out and obsolete equipment and structures as well as new investment (gross) –counts economic activity that happens in the United States (domestic) –represents the production of final goods and services (product)

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-2 Six Key Economic Variables Real Gross Domestic Product –often divided by the number of workers in the economy –measures how well the economy produces goods and services that people find useful –does not indicate the relative distribution of the nation’s economic product –is an imperfect measure of economic well-being

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-3 Figure Officially Measured Real GDP per Worker in the United States

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-4 Six Key Economic Variables The Unemployment Rate –to be unemployed, a person must want to work and be actively looking for a job (but have not yet found one) –the labor force consists of those who are employed and those who are unemployed –the unemployment rate is equal to the number of unemployed people divided by the labor force

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-5 Figure The U.S. Unemployment Rate

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-6 Six Key Economic Variables The Unemployment Rate –frictional unemployment occurs because workers and firms spend time searching for the best match –cyclical unemployment occurs during recessions and depressions –the unemployment rate is the best indicator of how well the economy is doing relative to its productive potential

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-7 Six Key Economic Variables The Inflation Rate –is a measure of how fast the overall price level is rising –hyperinflation occurs when the price level is rising by more than 20% per month

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-8 Figure Inflation in the United States

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-9 Six Key Economic Variables The Interest Rate –is important because it governs the redistribution of purchasing power across time –the many different interest rates in the economy vary by duration and degree of risk often move up and down together

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Six Key Economic Variables The Interest Rate –nominal interest rate is the interest rate in terms of money does not take into account the effects of inflation –real interest rate is the interest rate in terms of goods and services does take into account the effects of inflation

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Figure U.S. Real Interest Rates,

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Six Key Economic Variables The Stock Market –is heard about most often (every day) –is an index of expectations for the future a high value means that investors expect economic growth to be rapid, profits to be high, and unemployment to be low

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Figure Real Stock Index Prices

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Six Key Economic Variables The Exchange Rate –governs the terms on which international trade and investment take place –nominal exchange rate is the rate at which monies of different countries can be exchanged for one another –real exchange rate is the rate at which the goods and services produced in different countries can be exchanged for one another

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Six Key Economic Variables The Exchange Rate –if domestic currency appreciates its value in terms of other currencies increases foreign-produced goods are relatively cheap for domestic buyers –imports are likely to be high domestic-made goods are relatively expensive for foreigners –exports are likely to be low

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Six Key Economic Variables The Exchange Rate –if domestic currency depreciates its value in terms of other currencies declines domestic-produced goods are relatively cheap for foreign buyers –exports are likely to be high foreign-made goods are relatively expensive for domestic buyers –imports are likely to be low

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Figure The U.S. Real Exchange Rate: The Dollar against a Composite Index of Foreign Currencies

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Current Macroeconomic Situation The United States –economic growth has slowed to a very weak pace forecast for 2001 is that real GDP will grow by no more than 1.8% –interest rates lowered through Fed policy due to lags, effects of lower interest rates will not be felt until end of 2001 (at the earliest) –inflation continues to be low

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Current Macroeconomic Situation The United States - recent past –from early 1990s to 2000, there was an economic boom –unemployment fell during the 1990s lowest unemployment rate in two decades (4%) –real wages increased only slightly helped to keep inflation low

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Current Macroeconomic Situation Europe –economic growth in countries belonging to the European Monetary Union slowing –low inflation less than 2% per year –relatively high unemployment near 10%

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved The Current Macroeconomic Situation Japan –slow growth rate real GDP grew only 1.8% in 2000 real GDP is expected to grow only by 1.4% in 2001 –deflation is occurring the overall price level fell by 0.7% in 2000

Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Chapter Summary The key indicators in macroeconomics are –real GDP –the unemployment rate –the inflation rate –the interest rate –the level of the stock market –the exchange rate