The Uncertain HourI've always wondered ...Econ Extra Credit with David BrancaccioRace and EconomyMake Me Smart Daily

Loading...

0:00
0% played
Tell us about your experiences with Marketplace. Enter To Win
Stories Tagged as

CPI

I've always wondered ...

Why some inflation measurements don’t include food and energy prices

by Katherine Wiles
Mar 18, 2021
Core inflation strips out food and energy prices, because they can be pretty volatile.
Energy and food prices can fluctuate rapidly, so "core" inflation strips those prices out.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Share Now on:
SHARE
COVID-19

Rising food prices make it harder for families on assistance programs to get by

by Jasmine Garsd
Aug 12, 2020
With the pandemic, there are now 43 million people signed up for food assistance through SNAP.
One food bank network director says that even during good times, "the SNAP subsidy is often not sufficient."
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

What's disinflation, and why does it matter?

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Jul 30, 2020
Slowing inflation isn't as dangerous as prices dropping for a long period of time. But it's important to keep disinflation in check.
The menu of a ramen restaurant, for instance, can illustrate inflation, disinflation or deflation.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

Falling producer price index fans fears of deflation

by Mitchell Hartman
May 13, 2020
Prices of many goods are dropping as demand slows and people stay at home more. But does this mean deflation is here to stay?
A warehouse in China. Producer prices have softened as economic activity has slowed.
Wang He/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

Does measuring inflation matter during a pandemic?

by Kristin Schwab
May 12, 2020
How prices of many basic goods and services change usually tells us a lot about where the economy is headed.
A gas station in Los Angeles in March. CPI data shows gas prices fell more than 20% last month.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
Kai Explains

4 ways to measure inflation

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Sep 23, 2019
What are we talking about when we talk about inflation?
You don't need a complicated math problem to measure inflation; the CPI and PCE will do.
Three Lions/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE

Why China wants to stock more than 200,000 tons of pork

by Jennifer Pak
May 30, 2019
Some countries stockpile grain and petroleum. China has both, plus a national pork reserve.
A local meat market in Shanghai is dominated by pork stands. Pork is a staple in the Chinese diet and accounts for 70% of all meat consumed in China.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE

Help us do the numbers.

Donations from you are the most important part of Marketplace's budget. Chip in today.

Invest in marketplace

Measuring inflation isn't easy

by Mitchell Hartman
Apr 10, 2019
Month-to-month price fluctuations make it difficult for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to measure inflation accurately.
Shoppers line up to check out at a Target store in 2008 in Miami.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

A strong economy with low inflation? Inequality may be to blame.

by Kimberly Adams
Mar 12, 2019
New inflation numbers out today showed … very little of it. The consumer price index ticked up 0.2 percent in February. It was the first rise in four months. And year over year, the measure of how expensive it is to buy a fixed basket of goods is up just 1.5 percent. And that’s weird, […]
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Tight jobs lead to higher rents, which lead to core inflation increase

by
Dec 13, 2018
The Consumer Price Index, if you take out food and energy, showed prices rising slightly. It climbed 0.2 percent, so year-over-year prices have climbed 2.2 percent. One of the reasons for the price hikes in November was rent. And you might not be happy to hear it, but it could well be another sign of […]
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE