Unit 3: Unemployment and Inflation

Most of us are familiar with unemployment and inflation: the unemployment rate reflects the number of people out of work who are actively seeking work; inflation indicates an overall rise in the price level of most, but not all, goods and services. In this unit we delve into these concepts and study their interrelationship.

First, consider that inflation erodes the purchasing power of the dollar, or other currency unit (euro, rupee, naira, dinar, or pound). Macroeconomics helps us measure the effects inflation has on an economy and the standard of living when it distinguishes between nominal income (the dollar amount received), and real income (the amount of goods and services the income can buy).