📢 Too many exams? Don’t know which one suits you best? Book Your Free Expert 👉 call Now!

    Question

    The 'Sacrifice Ratio' in the context of the Phillips

    Curve refers to:
    A The trade-off between inflation and unemployment. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    B The loss of output needed to reduce inflation by 1 percentage point. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    C The ratio of cyclical unemployment to frictional unemployment. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    D The sacrifice of current consumption for investment. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    E The increase in unemployment needed to reduce inflation by 1 percentage point. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer

    Solution

    The Sacrifice Ratio is a concept related to disinflation policy. When a central bank wants to reduce the inflation rate (e.g., from 8% to 5%), it typically adopts contractionary policies (like raising interest rates) that slow down economic activity. This slowdown leads to a period of higher unemployment and lower output (or a negative output gap). The Sacrifice Ratio quantifies this cost. It is calculated as the cumulative percentage point loss of Real GDP (or the total unemployment above the natural rate) divided by the percentage point reduction in inflation achieved. It answers: "How much output must we sacrifice to lower inflation by 1%?"

    Practice Next
    More Research Questions
    ask-question