Distinguish Between Cost Push and Demand Pull Inflation
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN COST PUSH & DEMAND PULL INFLATION [10 Marks]
Can you remember how much you paid for the same items you buy now, two years ago? This increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy is inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index; Commonly referred to as Inflation. There are however, different types of inflation’s, each affected by different factors.
Aggregate supply is the total volume of goods and services produced by an economy at a given price level. When there is a decrease in the aggregate supply of goods and services stemming from an increase in the cost of production, we have cost-push inflation. Cost-push inflation basically means that prices have been "pushed up" by increases in costs of any of the four factors of production (labor, capital, land or enterprise) when companies are already running at full production capacity. With higher production costs and productivity maximized, companies cannot maintain profit margins by producing the same amounts of goods and services. As a result, the increased costs are passed on to consumers, causing a rise in the general price level (inflation).
A company may need to increases wages if laborers demand higher salaries (due to increasing prices and thus cost of living) or if labor becomes more specialized. If the cost of labor, a factor of production, increases, the company has to allocate more resources to pay for the creation of its goods or services. To continue to maintain (or increase) profit margins, the company passes the increased costs of production on to the consumer, making retail prices higher. Along with increasing sales, increasing prices is a way for companies to constantly increase their bottom lines and essentially grow. Another factor that can cause increases in production costs is a rise in the price of raw materials. This could occur because of scarcity of raw materials, an increase in the cost of labor and/or an
Can you remember how much you paid for the same items you buy now, two years ago? This increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy is inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index; Commonly referred to as Inflation. There are however, different types of inflation’s, each affected by different factors.
Aggregate supply is the total volume of goods and services produced by an economy at a given price level. When there is a decrease in the aggregate supply of goods and services stemming from an increase in the cost of production, we have cost-push inflation. Cost-push inflation basically means that prices have been "pushed up" by increases in costs of any of the four factors of production (labor, capital, land or enterprise) when companies are already running at full production capacity. With higher production costs and productivity maximized, companies cannot maintain profit margins by producing the same amounts of goods and services. As a result, the increased costs are passed on to consumers, causing a rise in the general price level (inflation).
A company may need to increases wages if laborers demand higher salaries (due to increasing prices and thus cost of living) or if labor becomes more specialized. If the cost of labor, a factor of production, increases, the company has to allocate more resources to pay for the creation of its goods or services. To continue to maintain (or increase) profit margins, the company passes the increased costs of production on to the consumer, making retail prices higher. Along with increasing sales, increasing prices is a way for companies to constantly increase their bottom lines and essentially grow. Another factor that can cause increases in production costs is a rise in the price of raw materials. This could occur because of scarcity of raw materials, an increase in the cost of labor and/or an