Uses and Misuses of Inflation and Price Indices

Uses and Misuses of Inflation and Price Indices
by: Jeff Ralph (Author),Paul A. Smith(Author),Robert O’Neill(Author)&0more
Publisher:Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Edition:Unabridged
Publication Date: 24 Jan. 2024
Language:English
Print Length:217 pages
ISBN-10:152757069X
ISBN-13:9781527570696
Book Description
In recent years, the sharp rise in inflation across the world has brought about challenges for businesses and households alike. In the UK, many pay offers have not met the expectations of employees resulting in widespread strikes. The action of the Bank of England in raising interest rates to bring inflation down has led to sharp rises in mortgage interest rates, putting further pressure on households. This book explores what is meant by inflation and how we go about measuring it. It recounts the history of price rises over the past few decades and how pensions, pay and benefits have been affected. It also examines the political and economic factors that have driven government responses to inflation. The book completes the broad picture of recent price changes by looking at house prices, rents, and business prices, as well as how they are reported as official statistics.
About the Author
About the Author Jeff Ralph is a visiting academic at the University of Southampton, UK. He previously worked for the Office for National Statistics, UK, for 14 years, where he worked on price statistics and the measurement of inflation; this included research and teaching. He has contributed to a number of research papers and books on index numbers and inflation measurement.Paul A. Smith is Professor of Official Statistics and Head of the Department of Social Statistics and Demography at the University of Southampton, UK. He teaches and undertakes research and consultancy in topics related to official statistics. He previously worked for the Office for National Statistics, UK, where he gained extensive experience in the theory and practice of sample surveys applied to businesses, households and the population census. Robert O’Neill is Principal Economist at the Information Commissioner’s Office, UK. Previously, he was a lecturer in economics at the University of Manchester, UK, where he researched and taught quantitative economics. Before that, he taught at Huddersfield University, UK, and worked at the Office for National Statistics, UK.