Cindy's Car Wash has average variable costs of $2 and average total costs of $3 when it produces 100 units of output (car washes). The firm's total variable cost is

The substantial increase in household debt relative to income since the mid 1980s meant that in 2008 many households

a. had little savings or other reserve assets for use to deal with unexpected expenditures. b. could safely afford to purchase larger homes because housing is always a good investment. c. could spend everything they earned because their interest obligations on outstanding credit were low. d. would be able to easily adjust their current spending if their monthly payments on adjustable rate mortgages rose.

What is the natural rate of unemployment, and how does it relate to the concept of potential (or full-employment) GDP?