
What are the five stages of business cycle?
- Development / Seed Stage. The development or seed stage is the beginning of the business lifecycle.
- Startup Stage. You've decided that your business idea is worth pursuing and have now made your business entity legal.
- Growth / Survival Stage.
- Expansion / Rapid Growth Stage.
- Maturity Stage.
What is the usual length of a business cycle?
There were 33 business cycles in the United States between 1854 and 2009 based on the National Bureau of Economic Research. The average length of a growing economy is 38.7 months or 3.2 years. The average recession lasts for 17.5 months or 1.5 years. A full business cycle on average is 4.7 years.
What causes the business cycle?
What Causes the Business Cycle?
- Expansion. – This is typically the longest phase of the cycle and is likely what most people think of as a normal economy.
- Late Expansion. – One of two things typically begins to happen in late expansion. ...
- Recession. ...
- Recovery/Early Expansion. ...
What is peak in business cycle?
Stages of the business cycle
- Expansion. A business cycle always starts with the expansion stage. ...
- Peak. When the economy becomes saturated and upward growth can no longer continue, the business cycle enters the peak stage.
- Contraction. At the end of the peak stage, economic growth trends begin to reverse as the economy contracts. ...
- Trough. ...
- Recovery. ...

What causes a trough in economics?
Troughs are as a result of declining employment rate, high unemployment, low GDP, low wages and other indicators. They also differ in nature, as some are just minor economic recessions, while others are as a result of recurrent contractions, or steady decline of an economic state.
What is an example of trough?
The definition of a trough is a long and narrow container. An example of a trough is what pigs eat out of. An example of a trough is a long container in which plants grow next to each other. (physics) A minimum point in a wave or an alternating signal.
What happens at the trough?
A trough is an elongated area of relatively low pressure extending from the center of a region of low pressure. Air in a high pressure area compresses and warms as it descends. This warming inhibits the formation of clouds, meaning the sky is normally sunny in high-pressure areas.
What is recession and trough?
A recession is the period between a peak of economic activity and its subsequent trough, or lowest point. Between trough and peak, the economy is in an expansion. Expansion is the normal state of the economy; most recessions are brief.
What trough means?
Definition of trough 1a : a long shallow often V-shaped receptacle for the drinking water or feed of domestic animals. b : any of various domestic or industrial containers. 2a : a conduit, drain, or channel for water especially : a gutter along the eaves of a building.
What is the best definition of trough?
/ (trɒf) / noun. a narrow open container, esp one in which food or water for animals is put. a narrow channel, gutter, or gulley. a narrow depression either in the land surface, ocean bed, or between two successive waves.
What is a trough quizlet?
Trough. Lowest point of a wave. Amplitude. For a wave or vibration, the maximum displacement on either side of the equilibrium (midpoint) position. Wavelength.
Does a recession follow a trough?
The NBER defines a recession as a period between a peak and a trough in the business cycle where there is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy that can last from a few months to more than a year.
What happens to business investment during a trough?
A trough in the business cycle is the bottom point of an economic cycle. It is often, but not necessarily, marked by two quarters of negative GDP growth. Employment and output will fall during a recessionary trough. Stocks of companies selling necessities and lower-priced items will generally outperform.
What happens to interest rates during a trough?
If the interest rate policy is effective, the economy will soon bottom out (trough) and move towards recovery. Lower interest rates ultimately make new loans cheaper and stimulate the household and business sector to borrow.
What are the 4 stages of the business cycle?
The four stages of the cycle are expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. Factors such as GDP, interest rates, total employment, and consumer spending, can help determine the current stage of the economic cycle.
Would you want your economy at the trough or peak?
Solution. the trough, because if it's at the trough it has a bigger chance to rise and if it's at the peak, that's the highest it would go and after the peak it begins to decrease.
What shape is a trough?
A trough is an elongated area of lower air pressure. Since pressure is closely linked to wind, there are often changes in wind direction across a trough.
What is a trough in the ocean?
oceanic trough, an elongate depression in the seafloor that is characteristically shallower, shorter, narrower, and topographically gentler than oceanic trenches. Maximal depths of oceanic troughs range between 2,300 m (7,500 feet) in the Papuan Trough and 7,440 m in the Banda Trough.
How do you use trough in a sentence?
We had to wash our knees down after a game in the horse troughs there. They have their noses deep in the trough. But he still had to wash his clothes in a horse trough. Much depends on how long and how deep the economic trough is likely to be.
What is a trough in waves?
The highest surface part of a wave is called the crest, and the lowest part is the trough. The vertical distance between the crest and the trough is the wave height.
What is a trough in economics?
Key Takeaways. A trough, in economic terms, can refer to a stage in the business cycle where activity is bottoming, or where prices are bottoming, before a rise. The business cycle is the upward and downward movement of gross domestic product (GDP) and consists of recessions and expansions that end in peaks and troughs.
Why are troughs important?
Troughs are important as they mark a positive turning point for the economy. Technical traders also sometimes refer to swing lows as troughs, and swing highs as peaks. Asset prices move up and down, forming peaks and troughs. Image by Julie Bang © Investopedia 2019.
What happens when stocks rally after a significant decline?
When stocks rally after a significant decline, it could signal the economic trough is in, or coming soon, leading to a rise in economic activity . Troughs are usually only apparent in hindsight.
What is the business cycle?
The business cycle is the upward and downward movement of gross domestic product and consists of recessions and expansions that end in peaks and troughs. Employment levels also offer an indicator of where the economy stands in the business cycle. Unemployment levels of less than 5% are consistent with full employment and are indicative ...
What are the phases of the economic cycle?
The business cycle moves in five phases: expansion, peak, contraction, trough, and recovery. The trough is the bottoming process of moving from contraction, or declining business activity, to recovery, which is increasing business activity. Economists use several metrics to track the economic cycle throughout its various phases. The most recognizable of these is gross domestic product (GDP), which is the total value of all goods and services that a country produces.
What is the opposite of a trough?
A peak is the opposite of a trough: a high point at which expansion shifts to contraction.
What are the indicators of the business cycle?
Income and wages are also indicators of where the economy stands in the business cycle. These increase during expansion, recede during contraction, and bottom out during a trough. The major U.S. stock market indices, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) also track closely with the business cycle.
When will the trough phase happen?
It’s hard to know when trough will happen. Only after the economic recovery is headed for expansion will we know that the trough phase has passed.
How does the business cycle work?
How the business cycle works. The peak is the upper limit of economic activity. During the final period of expansion, inflation rate spiked. Policymakers will intervene in the economy to prevent the economy from overheating. If effective, economic growth and inflation will slow down.
What is the term for a period of recession that is prolonged, even for years, and lasts more severely than?
Depression – a period of recession that is prolonged, even for years, and lasts more severely than a recession. Economic recovery – an initial period of expansion, when the economy out of the trough phase. Economic boom – the final part of expansion before the peak. Not only that.
What is the term for the period when economic activity decreases?
Contraction – the period when economic activity decreases. Trough – the lowest point of the cycle. Expansion – economic activity increases. Peak – the highest point of the cycle. Related terms: Recession – a period when contraction lasts for more than two consecutive quarters.
What is the lowest point of the business cycle?
What’s it: Through phase is the lowest point of the business cycle. It occurs when the recession reaches its deepest point before leading to economic recovery and expansion. The business cycle is up and down phases of economic activity. Consecutively, it consists of the contraction, trough, expansion, and peak phases.
What is economic boom?
Economic boom – the final part of expansion before the peak.
What is trough business cycle?
A trough, in economic terms, can refer to a stage in the business cycle where activity is bottoming, or where prices are bottoming, before a rise. The business cycle is the upward and downward movement of gross domestic product (GDP) and consists of recessions and expansions that end in peaks and troughs.
What is a trough used for?
a long, narrow, open receptacle, usually boxlike in shape, used chiefly to hold water or food for animals. any of several similarly shaped receptacles used for various commercial or household purposes.
What happens when you study for long periods of time?
Long study sessions lead to a lack of concentration and thus a lack of learning and retention. In order to spread out studying over short periods of time across several days and weeks, you need control over your schedule.
What is a trough in economics?
A trough, in economics, is the point in the business cycle between the end of a recession and the transition to accelerating GDP (gross domestic product) growth. Economists say that the business cycle goes through four main stages: 1. Expansion. 2.
What is a trough in agriculture?
Trough. In non-business English, a trough can mean: 1. A long, narrow open container that farm animals or working animals drink or eat out of. 2. A long, narrow open container used for growing plants. 3. A channel that a liquid flows through. 4.
What is the bottom of a business cycle?
A business cycle is one V-shaped wave – from peak to peak. The trough is the bottom of the wave, the point between recession and expansion – the point between the falling line and the rising line.
What is the term for peak to trough?
The term ‘peak-to-trough’ is sometimes used for house prices, industrial output, commercial property, and other sectors of the economy. In an article in ‘Business Insider’ in 2011, Sam Ro wrote: “property is the most cyclical of assets.
What is peak to trough GPD?
The GPD’s peak-to-trough decline during a recession is the total output shrinkage from the point where the recession started to when the economy begins expanding again . The term ‘peak-to-trough’ is sometimes used for house prices, industrial output, commercial property, ...
What happens after the trough?
After the trough, the economy moves to the stage of recovery. In this phase, there is a turnaround in the economy, and it begins to recover from the negative growth rate. Demand starts to pick up due to low prices and, consequently, supply begins to increase.
What is the first stage of a business cycle?
The first stage in the business cycle is expansion. In this stage, there is an increase in positive economic indicators such as employment, income, output, wages, profits, demand, and supply of goods and services. Debtors are generally paying their debts on time, the velocity of the money supply is high, and investment is high.
What is cyclical unemployment?
Cyclical Unemployment Cyclical unemployment is a type of unemployment where labor forces are reduced as a result of business cycles or fluctuations in the economy, Inelastic Demand. Inelastic Demand Inelastic demand is when the buyer’s demand does not change as much as the price changes.
What are the extreme points of a business cycle?
This completes one full business cycle of boom and contraction. The extreme points are the peak and the trough.
What is the stage of the economy that follows the peak phase?
Recession. The recession is the stage that follows the peak phase. The demand for goods and services starts declining rapidly and steadily in this phase. Producers do not notice the decrease in demand instantly and go on producing, which creates a situation of excess supply in the market. Prices tend to fall.
What is the straight line in the middle of the business cycle?
In the diagram above, the straight line in the middle is the steady growth line. The business cycle moves about the line. Below is a more detailed description of each stage in the business cycle:
What is the time period of a boom?
The time period to complete this sequence is called the length of the business cycle. A boom is characterized by a period of rapid economic growth whereas a period of relatively stagnated economic growth is a recession. These are measured in terms of the growth of the real GDP, which is inflation-adjusted.
Definition and Example of the Business Cycle
The business cycle is a term used by economists to describe the increase and decrease in economic activity over time. The economy is all activities that produce, trade, and consume goods and services within the U.S.—such as businesses, employees, and consumers. Thus, the measured amount of productivity is what the business cycle refers to.
How Does the Business Cycle Work?
The duration of a business cycle is the period containing one expansion and contraction in sequence. One complete business cycle has four phases: expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. They don’t occur at regular intervals or lengths of time, but they do have recognizable indicators.
Notable Happenings
The peak that preceded the 2008 recession occurred in the third quarter of 2007, when GDP growth was 2.4%. The 2008 recession was a rough one, because the economy immediately contracted by 1.6% in the first quarter of 2008. It rebounded 2.3% in the second quarter, an optimistic sign.
Troughs and Ridges Definition
Trough and ridges are commonly used weather terms, but what do they mean? Both features are important to examine when you are looking at a sea-level pressure map and trying to figure out the weather of a region. Troughs are elongated regions where there is low pressure, and they typically occur before a cold front.
What Is Meant by Monsoon Trough?
A monsoon trough is where the wind patterns of the northern and southern hemispheres meet. On a weather map, it is depicted by a line where there is minimum sea-level pressure. The monsoon trough is located in the Western Pacific and forms a part of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
Special Considerations
Troughs are recognizable in hindsight, but harder to spot in real-time. As the economic indicators contract, the economy is in a contraction phase. This phase can last for a short or long period of time.
How Does a Trough in the Business Cycle Work?
A trough in the business cycle marks the low point in the economic cycle. It follows a period of decline after the economy hits peak productivity. Employment and output will fall for a time, and the government often steps in to stimulate a recovery. As the economy works through the trough, growth will resume and the cycle will begin again.
Frequently Asked Questions
A trough in the business cycle occurs when a recession ends and economic recovery or expansion begins. A recession's depth is determined by the magnitude of the peak-to-trough decline in the broad measures of output, employment, income, and sales.
What is a deep trough called?
Along the same vein, a deep trough is called a slump or a depression. The difference between a recession and a depression is critical, though it is not always well-understood by non-economists.
What is the period marked from trough to peak?
The period marked from trough to peak. Peak: The upper turning point of a business cycle and the point at which expansion turns into contraction. Contraction: A slowdown in the pace of economic activity defined by low or stagnant growth, high unemployment, and declining prices. It is the period from peak to trough.
What are the ups and downs of the economy?
In fact, all modern industrial economies like that of the United States endure considerable swings in economic activity over time. The ups may be marked by indicators like high growth and low unemployment while the downs are generally defined by low or stagnant growth and high unemployment.
What is the lowest turning point in a business cycle?
Trough: The lowest turning point of a business cycle in which a contraction turns into an expansion. This turning point is also called Recovery .
How many phases are there in a business cycle?
The Phases of the Business Cycle. While no two business cycles are exactly the same, they can be identified as a sequence of four phases that were classified and studied in their most modern sense by American economists Arthur Burns and Wesley Mitchell in their text "Measuring Business Cycles.".
What is the business cycle?
The business cycle is the periodic but irregular up-and-down movements in economic activity, measured by fluctuations in real GDP and other macroeconomic variables. To put it simply, the business cycle is defined as the real fluctuations in economic activity and gross domestic product (GDP) over a period of time.
Is the business cycle predictable?
Parkin and Bade go on to explain that despite the name, the business cycle is not a regular, predictable, or repeating the cycle. Though its phases can be defined, its timing is random and, to a large degree, unpredictable.

What Is A Trough?
Understanding Troughs
Special Considerations
- Troughs are recognizable in hindsight, but harder to spot in real-time. As the economic indicators contract, the economy is in a contraction phase. This phase can last for a short or long period of time. It is only once the economic activity begins to increase again, as shown on economic indicators, that expansion is likely underway and the trough (or bottom) has been put in. While tr…
Examples of Troughs in The U.S.
- An economic trough occurred in June 2009. This date marked the official end of the Great Recession, which began following the economic peak reached in Dec. 2007. At the end of 2007, the U.S. GDP reached an all-time high of $14.99 trillion. It then fell steadily for the next year and a half, a period of severe economic contraction. In June 2009, it bottomed out at $14.36 trillion. A …
Frequently Asked Questions
- When do troughs in the business cycle occur?
A trough in the business cycle occurs when a recession ends and economic recovery or expansion begins. A recession's depth is determined by the magnitude of the peak-to-trough decline in the broad measures of output, employment, income, and sales. Its diffusion is measur… - What are the stages of the economic cycle?
The economic cycle is another term for the business cycle. The four stages are expansion, peak, contraction, and trough.
Table of Contents
How The Business Cycle Works
- The peak is the upper limit of economic activity. During the final period of expansion, inflation rate spiked. Policymakers will intervene in the economy to prevent the economy from overheating. If effective, economic growth and inflation will slow down. Intervention can be through contractionary fiscal or monetary policies. The fiscal policy requires the government to reduce s…
So What Happened During The Trough Phase
- The trough is a reversal phase from recession to economic recovery. Hence, during this period, real GDP growth was at its lowest level. And, it may be accompanied by the following conditions: 1. The unemployment ratereached its highest point 2. The inflation rate is at its lowest point because the economy shows high excess supply 3. Low-interest ra...
Solutions to Exit from The Trough Phase
- During the trough phase, the government usually still maintains a loose economic policy (contractionary policy). It involves several alternatives, such as: 1. Increasing government expenditures 2. Lowering tax rates 3. Cutting interest rates 4. Purchase of government bonds 5. Lowering reserve requirement ratio When the policy is sufficient, the economy and immediately …