The economy rebounds. Housing plans: how flimsy are the foundations? A surprising linkage: inequality causes low interest rates and high house prices. Monetary policy dominance over?

Lots of economic data over past few days, all pointing to very robust growth as the economy reopens. Plenty of questions remain over the sustainability of that growth. Almost all countries are in the same post-pandemic (we hope!) boat: a big surge in growth but supply constraints and a changed labour market raise plenty of questions. Another shiny new housing plan but how robust are its foundations? The annual central bank off-site in Jackson Hole is closely watched for clues about US interest rates. But some economists are beginning to think that the era of low interest rates is not really under the control of our monetary masters. It could be that as the rich get richer they save and don’t spend. And those savings drive interest rates down and stock markets and house prices up. If true, this will have ramifications for years to come. Inequality isn’t just bad, it’s really bad. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjpeconomics.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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