NABET, NABET 2015 Faculty Conference

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Information Technology Impacts on U.S. Labor
James Otto

Last modified: 2016-05-12

Abstract


This paper explores and documents, in a knowledge network, the deflationary impacts of information technology (IT) on our economy. This is a critical issue since national economies across the globe are facing strong deflationary pressures. This has resulted in unprecedented central bank actions to fight these pressures. These actions include quantitative easing, zero percent interest rates, and in some cases, even negative interest rates. Some examples of how IT can foster deflation include reducing producer costs through improvements in operational efficiencies, reducing consumer prices by improving price transparency, and increasing buyer options through reduced search transaction costs. By capturing these types of deflationary impacts in a formal knowledge map framework, economic policy makers may be better able to understand, and respond to, the many challenges presented by IT deflationary pressures.

Keywords


Information Technology, Deflation, Disinflation, Economics, knowledge map