Economics A-Z terms beginning with J

J-curve

The shape of the trend of a country’s trade balance following a DEVALUATION. A lower EXCHANGE RATE initially means cheaper EXPORTS and more expensive IMPORTS, making the current account worse (a bigger DEFICIT or smaller surplus). After a while, though, the volume of exports will start to rise because of their lower PRICE to foreign buyers, and domestic consumers will buy fewer of the costlier imports. Eventually, the trade balance will improve on what it was before the devaluation. If there is a currency APPRECIATION there may be an inverted J-curve.
Job search

The time taken to find a new job. Because some people will devote all their time to this search, there will always be some FRICTIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT, even when there is otherwise FULL EMPLOYMENT.
Joint supply

Some products or production processes have more than one use. For instance, cows can both provide milk and be eaten. If farmers increase the number of cows they own in response to an increase in DEMAND for milk, they are also likely to increase, a little later, the supply of meat, causing beef prices to fall.

Economics A-Z is adapted from "Essential Economics", by Matthew Bishop - Bloomberg Press; Economist Books.

J-curve