logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
40m 16s

Does immigration slow inflation?

Steve Keen & Phil Dobbie
About this episode

There’s been a lot of speculation lately about the role of immigration and its impact on inflation. Does a flood of foreign workers push down wages, which contains cost and keeps prices down? Conversely, did the low immigration levels post-COVID add to the wage pressures because, combined with sickness from COVID, there were a lot less people for every job vacancy. It sounds sensible, but Steve believes it’s only a small part of the issue. And if did have the potential to increase labour supply governments are often negating the benefits by failing to invest money into the economy, putting pressure on services and creating another inflation dynamic.


We also hear from Ben, who has a few words to say on the recent Elon Musk episode and all the talk of emigrating to Mars. Apparently we ignored the sex angle. Ad Ben set the task for next week’s podcast. Feel free to add your own contribution by clicking on the mic logo at debunkingeconomics.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Aug 20
Countering the Cantillon Effect
18th century economist Richard Cantillon theorised that new money added to the economy always reaches the wealthiest people first. If there’s a lot of it, the extra supply will push up prices, but the rich won’t feel it, they’ll just create it. The impact down the track is that t ... Show More
41m 55s
Aug 13
Planning, egos and resources
Phil and Steve pick up from last week’s discussion about the merits of central planning. Last time they talked about how big companies, like Walmart in the US, plan centrally, yet free marketeers have a problem with that sort of coordination being applied to the free market. This ... Show More
45m 30s
Aug 6
The need for central planning
In one of his many walks around his neighbourhood Phil has been listening to a book, The People's Republic of Walmart, by Leigh Phillips & Michal Rozworski. Basically, a contrarian economist and a journalist teaming up together. Could such a combination ever really work?The book ... Show More
39m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Is economists' favorite tool to crush inflation broken?
When economists and policymakers talk about getting inflation under control, there's an assumption they often make: bringing inflation down will probably result in some degree of layoffs and job loss. But that is not the way things have played out since inflation spiked last year ... Show More
23m 17s
May 2023
Inflation and the Profit-Price Spiral
Economists say that inflation is just too much money chasing too few goods. But something else can make inflation stick around. If you think of the 1970s, the last time the U.S. had really high sustained inflation, a big concern was rising wages. Prices for goods and services wer ... Show More
26m 39s
Jun 2022
The debate over what's causing inflation
The last few months have made us acutely aware of inflation. We all agree that it's making our lives harder, but economists disagree about what's causing it. | Fill out our listener survey: npr.org/podcastsurvey Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic ... Show More
19m 4s
Feb 2022
How bad is inflation?
Two stories about the effects of inflation on the economy. We meet a gig worker who's seen an increase in wages, but because of inflation, how much of that increase in earnings is an illusion? Then, we break down how the Federal Reserve is planning to fight inflation. | Subscribe ... Show More
19m 2s
Nov 2020
How innovation and immigration will save the economy and the climate – Australian politics live podcast
This week politics editor Katharine Murphy talks to Victorian frontbencher Clare O’Neil about Labor’s vision for Australia’s workforce. With mounting issues including low wage growth, the gig economy and underpayment, how can the government change policy direction during Covid? W ... Show More
32m 34s
Jul 2023
Why Is Unemployment So Low?
On this podcast we keep trying to make sense out of this economy. It is confusing and there are numerous contradictory signals.  On today’s show we are taking a look at why there appears to be a labor shortage. We keep hearing about the so-called labor shortage and politicians an ... Show More
5m 58s
Oct 2022
U.K. Economy: All Eyes on the U.K.
As the U.K. deals with a bout of market volatility, political transitions, and sticky inflation, how will policy makers and the Bank of England respond, and where might the U.K. economy be headed from here? Chief Cross-Asset Strategist Andrew Sheets and U.K. Economist Bruna Skari ... Show More
8m 3s