Lesson: Economic and Business Measures - Practice Questions

In this lesson, Nick Palazzolo, CPA, breaks down economic and business measures by walking through a series of practice questions that demonstrate how to calculate key economic statistics. Nick begins by explaining how to determine a country's GDP using the expenditure approach and the importance of memorizing the GDP formula. He then moves on to cover the Consumer Price Index (CPI), detailing the percentage change formula and providing a step-by-step guide on performing the calculation. Nick reinforces the need for precision, emphasizing the significance of working with the full numbers through to the end of a problem to avoid rounding errors. Further, Nick clarifies the definition of the discount rate set by the Federal Reserve, discussing its influence on monetary policy and distinguishing it from other rates and requirements. Finally, Nick describes different types of unemployment and zeroes in on structural unemployment, which is often generated by technological advances. Throughout the lesson, he makes sure to show how these calculations and concepts tie into practical scenarios for a clear understanding of their application.