Economic Overview of the Automotive Industry
The automotive industry is without a doubt an industry that has massive implications relating to the United States economy as well as affecting every American household. Shifts in the supply and demand of automobiles influence the current and future household purchases. Households must determine what amount of their hard-earned income to allocate to certain necessities. Because most households have a budget, the amount spent on transportation it limited. While most industries have an effect on the economy, the automotive industry has far-reaching implications for most Americans. Not only are the workers affected but the many spin-off jobs created as well as the consumers that must purchase the automobiles manufactured.
The automotive industry is considered elastic. The prices fluctuate depending on supply and demand. For example, when the economy takes a downturn and car sales are down the automakers attach incentives to the purchase of new vehicles to stimulate sales such as interest-free loans, rebates and lowered prices to encourage Americans to purchase their goods. Substitutes are available in the foreign car market. Lower cost, more fuel efficient models are available from many foreign car makers. Policy makers have placed limits on the amount of foreign cars that can be sold in the United States but in recent years the demand is higher so policy makers must respond to that demand. Past statistics tell the story of when fuel prices surge, smaller fuel efficient cars are more in demand. Higher fuel prices cause households to reallocate money from other areas to purchase fuels at higher prices because fu ...