Productivity is tied to worker wages, so a drop can be cause for concern.
“Trump inherited an economy that was firing on most, but not all, cylinders,” said Ryan Sweet at Oxford Economics.
“Betrayal” is the word that came up often with residents of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
High tariffs could spur inflation and hold back employment, pulling the Federal Reserve in different directions on interest rates.
Copper prices rose rapidly a few weeks ago, ahead of further tariff announcements. But the metal ended up on a short list of goods exempted from import taxes.
Delinquencies have been rising for credit cards and auto loans.
March’s jobs report was decent. But sweeping changes to U.S. trade policy taking effect in early April may show up in next month’s numbers.
They simply have to spend a bigger slice of their income on necessities.
When investors concentrate capital in AI-related companies, what does that mean for startups in other sectors?
Prices are expected to rise across the board — from construction materials to consumer electronics and clothing.
