26 Economic growth, 27 Economic growth, 28 Unemployment, 29 Unemployment, 30 Unemployed and employed

Ýêîíîìèêî-ïðàâîâàÿ áèáëèîòåêà

Ó÷åáíèêîâ â áèáëèîòåêå - 334                                                                Èùèòå æå ïðåæäå Öàðñòâà Áîæèÿ è ïðàâäû Åãî, è ýòî âñå ïðèëîæèòñÿ âàì. (Ìàòô.6:33)


26 Economic growth

Economic growth may be defined as an increase in the total output of a nation over time. It is usually measured as the annual rate of increase in a nation’s real GNP.

Economic growth represents the expansion of a nation’s production- possibility frontier (or PPF).

PPF shows the maximum amounts of production, that can be obtained by an economy, given the technological knowledge and quantity if inputs available.

Economic growth is not just an abstract concept. It is vital for the citizens of a country because economic growth, in terms of growth of output per capita, means growing real wages and rising living standards.

Economic growth usually proceeds slowly. Even the most prosperous economies only grow 2-3 per cent a year. Nevertheless economic growth rates like compound interest - a steady growth rate of 2 per cent each year will result in a significantly larger and healthier economy in only ten years.

Economists usually study economic growth over long periods of time. For example, economic historians have discovered that over the last century the average annual growth rate for the Japanese economy is less than two points larger than Great Britain’s. This small difference has resulted in Japan’s emergence as an international economic powerhouse. Meanwhile, Great Britain has fallen from its position as the world’s strongest economy to one that is struggling.

Vocabulary

the annual rate of increase – ùîð³÷íèé ð³âåíü (òàðèô) çðîñòàííÿ

expansion – ðîçøèðåííÿ

production-possibility frontier – êîðäîí (ìåæà ìîæëèâîñòåé âèðîáíèöòâà)

amounts of production – îáñÿãè âèðîáíèöòâà

vital – æèòòºâî âàæëèâèé

to proceed – ä³ÿòè, ÷èíèòè

prosperous economies – ïðîöâ³òàþ÷³ åêîíîì³êè

the average annual growth rate – ñåðåäí³é ð³÷íèé ð³âåíü ðîñòó.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    Economic growth may be defined as … .

2.    Economic growth represents … .

3.    Economic growth is vital for … .

4.    Economic growth usually proceeds … .

5.    Economists usually study economic growth over… .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    How may economic growth be defined?

2.    How is it usually measured?

3.    What does economic growth represent?

4.    What does production possibility frontier show?

5.    Is economic growth an abstract concept?

6.    Economic growth usually proceeds slowly, doesn’t it?

7.    How do economists usually study economic growth?

8.    What have economic historians discovered?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    Economic growth may be defined as an increase in the total output of a nation over a period of time.

2.    Economic growth represents the expansion of a nation production - possibility frontier.

3.    Economic growth is an abstract concept.

4.    One goods measure of economic growth is real per capita GNP.

5.    Economic growth usually proceeds quickly.

6.    Economists usually study economic growth over long periods of time.

7.    Economists have discovered that over the last century the average annual growth rate for the Japanese economy is less than two points larger than Great Britain's.

27 Economic growth

Economic growth can occur as a result of a growing labour force, additions to the nation’s stock of capital equipment, and improved productivity. Today, the United States labour force is not growing as fast as in previous decades because the “baby boom” generation has already entered the work force. In addition, the rate women are entering the work force is slowing.

The stock of capital equipment grows when business invests in tools, machinery, buildings and facilities. In the United States investment in capital goods has been a steady 10 percent of GNP for the past three years. But during the same time period, the Japanese have invested over 16-19 percent of their GNP in capital goods. It helps explain why the Japanese economy is growing faster than the U.S. economy.

Investment can be aimed at increasing productive capacity or at research and development (R&D). R&D can be used to develop new products (product innovation) or to develop new processes to cut the cost of production and improve productivity. Both product and process innovation are important.

The U.S. spends twice as much on product innovation than on process innovation. The Japanese do just the opposite. They spend twice as much on process innovation as they do on product innovation. This may be one reason why the Japanese are beating the U.S. in the ability to develop a better mousetrap and bring that mousetrap to the market faster than we do.

The Japanese and other foreign competitors do not just build a cheaper mousetrap because they have lower labour costs. Half of American trade deficit world-wide comes from industries overseas that pay their workers more than the same industries in the U.S. pay their workers. Process innovation leads to reduced manufacturing costs which can be an important reason for increased market share and profits.

 

Vocabulary

a growing labour force – çðîñòàííÿ ðîáî÷î¿ ñèëè

productivity – ïðîäóêòèâí³ñòü ïðàö³

previous decades – ïîïåðåäí³ äåñÿòèë³òòÿ

capital goods – çàñîáè âèðîáíèöòâà

the stock of capital equipment – ôîíä (çàïàñ) çàñîá³â âèðîáíèöòâà

to be aimed at – áóòè íàö³ëåíèì íà

product innovation – îíîâëåííÿ ïðîäóêòó

to cut the cost of production – çíèçèòè âàðò³ñòü âèðîáíèöòâà

to improve productivity – ïîêðàùèòè ïðîäóêòèâí³ñòü

mousetrap – ìèøîëîâêà

to reduce manufacturing ñosts – çìåíøèòè âèðîáíè÷³ âèòðàòè

process innovation – ïðîöåñ îíîâëåííÿ.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    Economic growth can occur as a result of … .

2.    The stock of capital equipment grows when … .

3.    Investment can be aimed at … .

4.    The U.S. spends twice as much on … .

5.    Process innovation leads to … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.          What can occur as a result of a growing labour force, additions to the nation’s stock of capital equipment, and improved productivity?

2.    Why is the United States labour force not growing as fast as in previous decades?

3.    The rate women are entering the work force is slowing, isn’t it?

4.    When does the stock of capital equipment grow?

5.    What helps explain why the Japanese economy is growing faster than the U.S. economy?

6.    What can investment be aimed at?

7.    Does the U.S. spend twice as much on product innovation or on process innovation?

8.    Process innovation leads to reduced manufacturing costs, doesn’t it?

 

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    The "baby boom" generation has already entered the work force.

2.    The USA has invested over 19 per cent of GNP in capital goods for the past three years.

3.    R & D can be used to develop product innovation or to develop process innovation.

4.    The Japanese spend twice as much on product innovation than on process innovation.

5.    The Japanese are beating the USA in the ability to develop a better product as they spend twice as much on process innovation as on product innovation.

6.    Half of American trade deficit world-wide comes from industries overseas.

7.    Industries overseas pay their workers less than the same industries in the USA do.

8.    Reduced manufacturing costs can be an important reason for increased market share and profits.

28 Unemployment

The concept of unemployment - the state of being out of work - relates directly to an economy’s ability to supply jobs for its people. Its study involves the problem of measurement the different kinds of unemployment, as well as the concept of full employment.

Two measures are used to determine the success people have in finding employment, or work. The first is unemployment rate. The second is the employment rate.

The most popular measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate, which is determined by dividing the number of unemployed persons by the total number of persons in the civilian labour force.

As a statistical measure, the unemployment rate does have some limitations. For one, it does not count those people who have looked for work so long that they have become discouraged and have stopped looking. During recessions, many people become so frustrated that they simply «drop out» of the labour force. A person who does not have a job is not classified as «unemployed» if he or she did not make an effort to find a job within the past four weeks.

Another limitation is that the unemployment rate counts persons as fully employed even though they hold part-time jobs.

The employment rate is a measure of the people actually working as opposed to the number willing available to work.

To determine the employment rate the number of employed persons is divided by the total population less those people in the armed forces in such institutions as hospitals and prisons, and under the age of 16.

One advantage of this measure is that it is relatively easy to compile. Another advantage is that it includes those people who tried to find a job became discouraged, and have stopped looking for the time being. If enough people stop looking for work because they are discouraged, unemployment rate goes down. The employment rate is not affected, however, because these unemployed people already are counted as part of the population available for work.

Vocabulary

unemployment – áåçðîá³òòÿ

unemployment rate – ð³âåíü áåçðîá³òòÿ

employment rate – ð³âåíü çàéíÿòîñò³

limitations – îáìåæåííÿ

to look for – øóêàòè

to become discouraged – çàíåïàäàòè äóõîì

recession – ñïàä çàéíÿòîñò³

to become frustrated – âòðàòèòè ñïîä³âàííÿ

to make an effort – âèòðà÷àòè çóñèëëÿ

part-time job – òèì÷àñîâà ðîáîòà

to compile – óêëàäàòè

  

². Match each term in Column A with its definition

in Column B:

Column A

Column B

1.     Unemployment

 

 

 

2.     Unemployment rate

 

 

 

3.     Labour force

 

 

 

 

 

4.     Recession

 

 

5.     Employment rate

 

6.     Employed

 

7. Unemployed

a.                    The bottom of the business cycle; a period of Law business activity and high unemployment.

b.        Measure of the people actually working as opposed to the number willing and available to work.

c.         Indicator of economic activity that compares the number of people in the labour force to the number looking for work; percentage of the labour force unable to find jobs.

d.        Measure of the number of people registered as looking for work but without a job.

e.         The number of people working or looking for work.

f.          People without jobs who are looking for work.

g.         People who perform any paid work, as well as those who have jobs but are absent from work because of illness, strikes or vacations.

 

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    . What does the concept of unemployment relate to?

2.    What measures are used to determine the success people have in finding work?

3.    How is the unemployment rate determined?

4.    What limitations does the unemployment rate have as a statistical measure?

5.    Why do people «drop out» of the labour force?

6.    Can a person without a job be classified as «unemployed»?

7.    What persons are counted as fully employed?

8.    How do we determine the employment rate?

9.    What are the advantages of the employment rate as a statistical measure?

10. What happens to the rate of employment and unemployment if enough people stop looking for work?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    Unemployment is the state being out of work.

2.    Three measures are used to determine the success people have in finding work.

3.    The most popular measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate.

4.    The unemployment rate has some limitations.

5.    A person who does not have job is classified as "unemployed".

6.    The employment rate is a measure of the people actually working as opposed to the number willing available to work.

7.    There are two advantages of this measure.

8.    The unemployment rate goes up if enough people stop looking for work.

29 Unemployment

In view of the complexity of the economic system, it is not surprising that there should always be some unemployment, even though the number of vacancies may actually exceed the number of job-seekers. «Friction» (i.e., the imperfections of the labour market, such as the time lost between two jobs, lack of information) is responsible for this type of unemployment. Anything that speeds up the search process will obviously reduce «frictional unemployment» (e.g., more and better information, job-centres, placement agencies).

«Seasonal unemployment» is due to the seasonal pattern of work in some industries, most markedly in tourism, agriculture, and construction. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate seasonal unemployment, although careful planning of work in the building industry and, the encouragement of a second «season» in tourism may help to mitigate the problem.

Frictional and seasonal unemployment, although involving a considerable waste of resources and much hardship, are not the real problem. This cannot be said of short-term «cyclical» and long-term «growth-gap» unemployment, which are both caused by a deficiency of demand.

«Structural unemployment» is not due to any lack of jobs, but to a mismatch between the type and/or location of jobs offered and the qualifications and/or location of the job seekers. Some economists regard the geographical element of structural unemployment, and some even structural unemployment as a whole, as a special variety of

frictional unemployment. Whatever classification so used, structural unemployment is characteristic of periods with rapid and profound structural changes in the economy. Suggested remedies are: retraining, increased geographical mobility (retraining and relocation grants), short-term and medium-term labour market forecasts, information campaigns on job opportunities, etc...

«Technological unemployment» results from the replacement of workers by labour-saving machines, computers, microprocessors, etc., or to use the appropriate economic jargon, from an increase in the capital-labour ratio. Here again, economic growth will probably not be sufficient to absorb the redundant workers, and a shorter working week may be the only solution. The main fears in connection with this measure are that it will push up costs or reduce aggregate demand. This need not happen if the reduction in working hours does not exceed productivity gains, and real wages are neither increased nor decreased.

Vocabulary

in view of the complexity – ç òî÷êè çîðó ñêëàäíîñò³

job-seekers – ò³, ùî øóêàþòü ðîáîòó

economic friction – åêîíîì³÷í³ ðîçá³æíîñò³

to speed up – ïðèñêîðþâàòè

to eliminate – ë³êâ³äóâàòè, ³ãíîðóâàòè

to mitigate – çìåíøóâàòè, ïîëåãøóâàòè

frictional unemployment – áåçðîá³òòÿ, âèêëèêàíå åêîíîì³÷íèìè íåãàðàçäàìè

to be sufficient – áóòè äîñòàòí³ì

to absorb the redundant workers – ïîãëèíóòè çàéâèõ ðîá³òíèê³â.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    The imperfections of the labour market is responsible for …

2.    Seasonal unemployment is due to … .

3.    Short-term and long-term unemployment are both caused by a…

4.    Structural unemployment is not due to any lack of jobs, but to …

5.    Technological unemployment results from the … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    . What are the reasons of «frictional unemployment?»

2.    How can «frictional unemployment» be reduced?

3.    In what industries can «seasonal unemployment» take place?

4.    Is it difficult to eliminate «seasonal unemployment?»

5.    What does the «structural unemployment» result from?

6.    How do economists regard the geographical element of «structural unemployment?»

7.    What are the suggested remedies?

8.    What does «technological unemployment» result from?

9.    How can «technological unemployment» be solved?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    In view of the complexity of the economic system there should always be some unemployment.

2.    Temporary, unavoidable unemployment is described as "frictional unemployment".

3.    It is difficult to eliminate "seasonal unemployment".

4.    Some economists regard the geographical element of "structural unemployment" as a special variety of "frictional unemployment".

5.    "Structural unemployment" is the result of profound and structural change in the economy.

6.    "Technological unemployment" results from technological changes in the economy.

7.    The government's responsibility is to help individuals whose jobs have been replaced by computers, robots or other complicated machines.

30 Unemployed and employed

Changes in unemployment rate make monthly headlines. What lies behind the numbers? Data on work and unemployment are among the most carefully designed and comprehensive economic data the nation collects. The data are collected monthly in a procedure known as random sampling of the population. Each month about 60/000 households are interviewed about their recent work patterns.

The survey divides the population 16 years and older into three groups:

Employed . These are people who perform any paid work, as well as those who have jobs but are absent from work because of illness, strikes, or vacations.

Unemployed . This group includes people who are not employed but are actively looking for work or waiting to return to work. More precisely, a person is unemployed if he or she is not working and (a) has made specific efforts to find a job during the last 4 weeks, (b) is laid off from a job and is waiting to be recalled, or (c) is waiting to report to a job in the next month. To be counted as unemployed a person must do more than simply think about work or, for example, contemplate the possibility of making a movie or being a rock star. A person must report specific efforts (like visiting local firms of answering want ads) to find a job. Those who are either employed or unemployed are in the labour force.

Not in the labour force. This includes the 34 percent of the adult population that is going to school, keeping house, retired, too ill to work, or simply not looking for work.

Vocabulary

monthly headlines – ì³ñÿ÷í³ çàãîëîâêè

data on work and unemployment – äàí³ ïðî ðîáîòó òà áåçðîá³òòÿ

random – âèïàäêîâèé

survey – îãëÿä, îáñòåæåííÿ

more precisely – á³ëüø òî÷íî (òî÷í³øå)

lay-off – ïåð³îä òèì÷àñîâîãî çâ³ëüíåííÿ ÷åðåç â³äñóòí³ñòü ðîáîòè

to contemplate – îáì³ðêîâóâàòè, ïåðåäáà÷àòè

to find a job – øóêàòè ðîáîòó

adult population – äîðîñëå íàñåëåííÿ

retired – ïåíñ³îíåðè.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    Data on work and unemployment are among the most… .

2.    The data are collected monthly in a procedure known as … .

3.    Employed are people who … .

4.    Unemployed include people who … .

5.    To be counted as unemployed a person must do more than … .

6.    Those who are either employed or unemployed are … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    What groups can the population be divided into?

2.    Who falls into the group of «employed»?

3.    When is a person counted as unemployed?

4.    What is labour force?

5.    What category of people is not included in the labour force?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    Data on work and unemployment are among the most carefully designed and comprehensive economic data the nation collects.

2.    The data are coll

3.    ected yearly in a procedure known as random sampling of the population.

4.    The survey divides the population 16 years and older into three groups.

5.    Employed are people who actively looking for work or waiting to return to work.

6.    Unemployed are people who have jobs but are absent from work because of illness, strikes, or vacancies.

7.    To be counted as unemployed a person must do more than simply think about work.

8.    Those who are either employed or unemployed are in laboured force.

Employed include also the adult that study, keep house, retired, look for work, or is simply ill

 

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