Glossary Terms:

Focus on Economic Data: Productivity - September 4, 2003

Glossary terms from:
http://www.econedlink.org/e513


Business

Any activity or organization that produces or exchanges goods or services for a profit.

Capacity

In the context of credit transactions, capacity is one of the Three Cs of Credit. It is an indicator of how creditworthy a prospective borrower is likely to be, as determined by the borrower's current and future earnings relative to current debt. High earnings and low debt, for example, indicate a strong capacity to make payments on the loan in question.

Capital

Resources and goods made and used to produce other goods and services. Examples include buildings, machinery, tools and equipment. In the context of credit transactions, capital is one of the Three Cs of Credit. It is an indicator of how creditworthy a prospective borrower is likely to be as determined by the borrower's current financial assets and net worth.

Costs

An amount that must be paid or spent to buy or obtain something. The effort, loss or sacrifice necessary to achieve or obtain something.

Council of Economic Advisers

A three-member group that gathers information on the economy, reports on economic developments and recommends strategies to the President.

Durable Goods

Goods intended to last for a period of more than three years.

Goods

Tangible objects that satisfy economic wants.

Households

Individuals and family units that buy goods and services (as consumers) and sell or rent productive resources (as resource owners).

Housing

Accommodation in houses, apartments, etc.

Insurance

A practice or arrangement whereby a company provides a guarantee of compensation for specified forms of loss, damage, injury or death. People obtain such guarantees by buying insurance policies, for which they pay premiums. The process allows for the spreading out of risk over a pool of insurance policyholders, with the expectation that only a few policholders will actually experience losses for which claims must be made. Types of insurance include automobile, health, renter's, homeowner's, disability and life.

Labor

The quantity and quality of human effort available to produce goods and services.

Production

A process of manufacturing, growing, designing, or otherwise using productive resources to create goods or services used to to satisfy a want.

Productivity

The amount of output (goods and services) produced per unit of input (productive resources) used.

Recession

A decline in the rate of national economic activity, usually measured by a decline in real GDP for at least two consecutive quarters (i.e., six months).

Services

Activities performed by people, firms or government agencies to satisfy economic wants.

Work

Effort applied to achieve a purpose or result, often for pay; skills and knowledge put to use to get something done; employment at a job or in a position; occupation, profession, business, trade, craft, etc.

Workers

People employed to do work, producing goods and services.