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2. Lower Unemployment
Supply-side policies can contribute to reducing structural, frictional and real wage
unemployment and therefore help reduce the natural rate of unemployment.
2. Deregulation
This involves reducing barriers to entry to allow new firms to enter the market.
This will make the market more competitive. For example, BT used to be a
monopoly in telecommunications, but now several firms compete for our
business. Competition tends to lead to lower prices and better quality of
goods/service.
The difficulty is that not all industries are amenable to competition. For
example, power generation and water supply is a natural monopoly.
Privatising and deregulating these industries tends to create a private
monopoly who can charge higher prices.
However this is not necessarily true, lower taxes do not always increase
work incentives (e.g. if income effect outweighs substitution effect). Firms
may not invest the increased profit but give to shareholders or save.
Make it easier to hire and fire workers. Abolish redundancy pay or right of
appeal
Reduce maximum working weeks and minimum holiday pay.
Enable zero-hour contracts which allow firms to employ workers when
demand is greater.
If it is cheaper to hire and fire workers, the argument is that it encourages firms to
take on workers in the first place, creating more employment opportunities.
7. Increase free-trade
Lower tariff barriers will increase trade and provide an incentive for export firms
to invest. Increasingly important are non-tariff barriers. For example, the EU
Single Market has harmonisation over regulations, which enables more
frictionless trade. Negotiating frictionless trade-deals can lead to lower cost for
business and improve productivity.
However govt intervention will cost money and require higher taxes, It will
take time to have an effect and the government may subsidise the wrong
types of training.
4. Improved healthcare
Business can face substantial costs from time lost to ill-health. Health care
spending which improves a nation’s health can improve labour productivity.
Improved health can also come from discouraging unhealthy habits. For
example, tax on cigarettes, alcohol and sugar can reduce health care costs
associated with drunkenness, obesity and polluted environments.