The correct answer is C) outsourcing.
The factor that would be the least important variable that affects the business cycle is outsourcing.
The variables that do affect the business cycle are inflation, employment, and productivity. Inflation indicates how high the prices of goods and services have risen. This impacts the whole economy in a free market. Employment is another indicator that is an important variable that affects business in that it indicates how many people have jobs in the country, which means people can spend money to move the economy and are paying taxes to help the government. And productivity is another important indicator that shows the financial health of industries and Companies.
The other options of the question were, a) inflation, b) employment, and d) productivity.