Analyzing Persistent Inflation

Following a significant, economy-wide increase in negotiated labor costs (a cost-push shock), a self-perpetuating inflationary cycle can begin. Arrange the following events to correctly illustrate the sequence of a wage-price spiral.

An economy experiences a one-time supply shock that raises production costs for all firms, leading to an initial increase in the inflation rate. For this single event to trigger a persistent, self-perpetuating wage-price spiral, which of the following mechanisms is most essential?

The Dynamics of a Wage-Price Spiral