chapter 3.british economy英国经济.ppt

Chapter 3. The UK Economy ??3.1 Overview? In the 19th century, Britain had the worlds leading economy: Its overseas trade thrived, its standard of living rose steadily, and its citizens pioneered industrial innovations. With the growth of the economies of other nations in the 20th century, the British economy remained relatively strong. It has continued to grow, and Britain remains a major producer of industrial goods and provider of services, as well as a center of world trade and finance. In the 20th century, Britons saw their per capita总数 disposable可用的 income triple增至三倍, an accomplishment all the more remarkable considering Britain‘s size and limited natural resources. The skills and ingenuity精巧 of Britain’s highly trained workers, managers, and entrepreneurs企业家 have enabled the British economy to function well and provide for its large population. Although Britains economy was strong in the 20th century, it faced a number of persistent problems. The balance of trade was one. Britain has had to import more than a tenth of its food and much of its raw materials, as well as many manufactured goods, and it has to export sufficient products and services to balance the cost of its imports. Another problem has been industrial inefficiency, which was particularly evident in older industries such as coal mining, shipbuilding, and textiles, which produced more products than they could sell. Some industries that had been nationalized (taken over by the state) after 1945, such as British Oil Corporation, British Airways, and British Telecommunications, were unprofitable and operated at a considerable cost to taxpayers. In addition, trade unions sometimes required companies to hire more workers than were needed, and time was lost due to strikes as workers pressed for higher wages. These trade union problems increased the cost of goods, which helped cause inflation通货膨胀. Inflation occurs when the demand for products is higher