12.02.2018 Views

merged

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Aggregate Supply<br />

In the aggregate market, the supply side of the market is called aggregate supply.<br />

Aggregate supply – the quantity supplied of all goods and services at different price levels.<br />

In looking at aggregate supply, we make a distinction between short-run aggregate supply and<br />

long-run aggregate supply. For now, we focus on short-run aggregate supply. The short-run<br />

aggregate supply curve (SRAS) indicates a direct relationship between the price level and the<br />

quantity supplied of Real GDP. This direct relationship results in an upward sloping SRAS curve<br />

as illustrated on the graph below. (For an explanation of why the SRAS curve is upward sloping,<br />

see the appendix at the end of the chapter.)<br />

Price<br />

Level<br />

Shifts in the SRAS Curve<br />

Real GDP<br />

SRAS<br />

Remember from Chapter 3 that the determinant of supply for a good is the cost of production. A<br />

change in the cost of producing a good causes a shift in the supply curve for that good. Likewise,<br />

the determinant of short-run aggregate supply is the overall costs of production. The short-run<br />

aggregate supply curve shifts in response to changes in the overall costs of production in the<br />

economy. An increase in the overall costs of production will cause a decrease in short-run<br />

aggregate supply (SRAS curve shifts to the left). A decrease in the overall costs of production will<br />

cause an increase in short-run aggregate supply (SRAS curve shifts to the right).<br />

The overall costs of production will change due to the following factors. Thus, these four factors<br />

cause the SRAS curve to shift:<br />

1. Wage rates. Labor costs are usually the largest single cost of production. An increase in wage<br />

rates in the economy will increase the overall costs of production and thus will decrease<br />

SRAS. A decrease in wage rates will increase SRAS.<br />

Example 5A: The economy falls into a severe recession with high unemployment. Workers find<br />

that they must accept lower wage rates to find employment. The decreasing wage rates cause<br />

the SRAS curve to shift to the right.<br />

2. Prices of nonlabor inputs. Nonlabor inputs are all inputs to production other than labor. An<br />

increase in the prices of nonlabor inputs (e.g. rent, utilities, insurance, fuel, etc.) will increase<br />

the overall costs of production and thus will decrease SRAS. A decrease in the prices of<br />

nonlabor inputs will increase SRAS.<br />

FOR REVIEW ONLY - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION<br />

The Aggregate Market 6 - 4

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!