Real output is going down the drain

This year will be very inflationary as real output crashes in Q2 2020.

Real output is plunging

Real output has plunged. If nobody works, nobody gets to eat. Nothing is free. Inflation will soar.

GDP Output Gap Vs. Inflation

The GDP Output Gap is a very nice indicator for inflation. It is a leading indicator for inflation and is based on the potential real GDP.

Potential gross domestic product (GDP) is defined in the OECD's Economic Outlook publication as the level of output that an economy can produce at a constant inflation rate. Although an economy can temporarily produce more than its potential level of output, that comes at the cost of rising inflation.

Potential GDP = (natural rate of employment) ÷ (actual rate of employment) * (actual GDP)

So if you see that the output gap (potential GDP - current GDP) is narrowing, you should begin to see inflation. On the chart below we see that the output gap is narrowing and I expect inflation to start showing up in 2017.

Let's take a look at the 1980's. You can clearly see that inflation appears when the red line goes above the blue line.