--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot hope to achieve full employment…" description: "\"We cannot hope to achieve full employment and sustain it until we have mastered inflation.\" — Denis Healey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png" --- # We cannot hope to achieve full employment and sustain it… ![“We cannot hope to achieve full employment and sustain it until we have mastered inflation.” quote by Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png) > “We cannot hope to achieve full employment and sustain it until we have mastered inflation.” [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing employment and inflation requires prioritizing price stability before full job creation. **In simple terms:** Control inflation before aiming for full employment. Key Takeaway Stabilize prices first. Themes economics policy inflation employment Mood analytical cautious Type policy economic When to use this quote - government budgeting - central bank decisions - labor market reforms Key Concepts macroeconomic theory trade‑offs Questions to Reflect On - Can inflation be managed without harming jobs? - What policies best balance both goals? A Different Perspective Full employment may be unattainable without price stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Achieve Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve-employment-1700176/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment/) [Employment Sustain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment-sustain-1700177/) [Hope Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-achieve-1700178/) [Inflation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inflation/) [Mastered Inflation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastered-inflation-1700175/) ## Related quotes > [A new day brings new hope to achieve new goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveed-ali/a-new-day-brings-new-hope-to-achieve-new-goals/) [Naveed Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveed-ali/) > [“What on earth do they hope to achieve by that, demonstrations never achieve anything, if they did, we wouldn't allow them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/what-on-earth-do-they-hope-to-achieve-by-that-demonstrations-never/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [There Is always tomorrow to work a little harder, smile a little brighter, and have a little more hope that you will achieve your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-always-tomorrow-to-work-a-little-harder-smile-a-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A child like you would never understand what I hope to achieve! =B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princeazheef/a-child-like-you-would-never-understand-what-i-hope-to-achieve-b/) [PrinceAzheef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princeazheef/) > [If you continue to use monetary policy to attempt to promote full employment the result would be that you would have higher inflation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/if-you-continue-to-use-monetary-policy-to-attempt-to-promote-full/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I'm against using Petrobras to combat inflation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-haddad/i-m-against-using-petrobras-to-combat-inflation/) [Fernando Haddad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-haddad/) > [It's good news that he is proposing to restore budget cuts that he made, but the reality is that he is still proposing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rosapepe/it-s-good-news-that-he-is-proposing-to-restore-budget-cuts-that-he/) [James Rosapepe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rosapepe/) > [Despite the recent conviction of many that we're headed back to inflation, I think deflation remains the more likely prospect. You've just got too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shilling/despite-the-recent-conviction-of-many-that-we-re-headed-back-to/) [Gary Shilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shilling/) > [Soundbite and slogan, strapline and headline, at every turn we meet hyperbole. The soaring inflation of the English language is more urgently in need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/soundbite-and-slogan-strapline-and-headline-at-every-turn-we-meet/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [Inflation is like toothpaste. Once it's out, you can hardly get it back in again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-otto-pohl/inflation-is-like-toothpaste-once-it-s-out-you-can-hardly-get-it-back/) [Karl Otto Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-otto-pohl/) > [Inflation is not caused by the actions of private citizens, but by the government: by an artificial expansion of the money supply required to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/inflation-is-not-caused-by-the-actions-of-private-citizens-but-by-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [In short, both experience and economic theory imply that the US could now t to a more competitive dollar without experiencing either increased inflation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-feldstein/in-short-both-experience-and-economic-theory-imply-that-the-us-could/) [Martin Feldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-feldstein/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) ## More by Denis Healey > [I often compare Margaret Thatcher with Florence Nightingale. She stalks through the wards of our hospitals as a lady with a lamp. Unfortunately, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/i-often-compare-margaret-thatcher-with-florence-nightingale-she/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [“The Prime Minister says that she has given the French President a piece of her mind – this is not a gift I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/the-prime-minister-says-that-she-has-given-the-french-president-a/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [I've always criticised American policy when I've disagreed with it. Just as I've criticised British policy. I was violently anti-Suez and pro-American in 1956,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/i-ve-always-criticised-american-policy-when-i-ve-disagreed-with-it/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [First law on holes - when you're in one, stop digging!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/first-law-on-holes-when-you-re-in-one-stop-digging/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [I've got a happy marriage, which is the most important singular thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/i-ve-got-a-happy-marriage-which-is-the-most-important-singular-thing/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [War inside countries is all too common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/war-inside-countries-is-all-too-common/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [An aircraft which is used by wealthy people on their expense accounts, whose fares are subsidized by much poorer taxpayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/an-aircraft-which-is-used-by-wealthy-people-on-their-expense-accounts/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Socialism to me is establishing social control of power in society, and where that differs from liberalism for example which aims at a similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/socialism-to-me-is-establishing-social-control-of-power-in-society/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Squeeze property speculators until the pips squeak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/squeeze-property-speculators-until-the-pips-squeak/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Being attacked by him is like being savaged by a dead sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/being-attacked-by-him-is-like-being-savaged-by-a-dead-sheep/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Nothing is more dangerous that the politician who uses politics as a surrogate for an unsatisfactory personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/nothing-is-more-dangerous-that-the-politician-who-uses-politics-as-a/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Karl Marx himself preferred a glass of claret to the mug of tea affected by some of his recent converts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/karl-marx-himself-preferred-a-glass-of-claret-to-the-mug-of-tea/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Mrs Thatcher tells us she has given the French President a piece of her mind... not a gift I would receive with alacrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/mrs-thatcher-tells-us-she-has-given-the-french-president-a-piece-of/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [The right hon. Gentleman will be known for ever as the only Chancellor in the post-war period who brought this country to the brink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/the-right-hon-gentleman-will-be-known-for-ever-as-the-only-chancellor/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Many of us in the West have come to feel that the development of technology in the military and economic fields has produced a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/many-of-us-in-the-west-have-come-to-feel-that-the-development-of/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) [Explore all 25 Denis Healey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) ## More Achieve quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) [Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) [Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) [Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We cannot hope to achieve full employment and sustain it until we have mastered inflation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Denis Healey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employment-and-sustain-it-until-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achieve" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employment-and-sustain-it-until-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/denis-healey-24119_achieve_we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employmen_2572004.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We cannot hope to achieve full employment and sustain it until we have mastered inflation.” — Denis Healey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Denis Healey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We cannot hope to achieve full...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employment-and-sustain-it-until-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/we-cannot-hope-to-achieve-full-employment-and-sustain-it-until-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```