Business Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics is a study of forces, like unemployment, inflation, recessions and foreign exchange movements, that no company or person can control but which have a huge impact on businesses and people’s lives.  This book explains macroeconomic topics in a straightforward manner for people managing a company, working in the corporate world or trading stocks and bonds.  It provides practical information so that you first understand these uncontrollable forces and also have the tools to respond when the macro economy changes.


The goal of this book is to give you practical skills. It does not dwell on theoretical macroeconomic models.  Theory is important, and some theories are discussed in this book, but they are not the focus.  Many people drive cars and trucks, yet few drivers ever learn the theory behind an internal combustion engine.  Understanding practical issues such as the rules of the road, how other drivers react and what the vehicle’s pedals and switches do is more important for safe driving than mastering the underlying theory.  Macroeconomics for people in business is similar.  For example, knowing how to adjust prices to negate the impact of inflation is more important for the typical business person than understanding the theory behind why inflation occurs.


Reading and understanding this book will ensure that the next time the macro economy has a major change you can recognize the implications and adjust successfully to the new business environment.


Table of Contents

   Preface

   Introduction

   Supply and Demand

   What Drives Stock Prices?

   The World’s Population

   A Nation’s Output: GDP

   Prices in the Economy

   Using Prices in Your Business

   Employed and Unemployed

   Other Labor Market Issues

   Aggregate Supply and Demand

   The Business Cycle

   Productivity and Growth

   Money

   Banks and How Money Multiplies

   Interest Rates and Bonds

   Inflation

  Taxes and the Economy

  Public and Private Debt

  International Trade

  Foreign Exchange Rates

  Conclusion