Gig work rebounds but some gig workers struggle with inflation

Jul 8, 2022
Gig workers now have access to unemployment benefits as the economy has opened back up.
As the economy has opened up, so too have opportunities and benefits for gig workers such as drivers for ride-hailing services.
Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Is the rental market slowing down? Maybe.

Jul 7, 2022
Some private-sector sources are reporting that year-over-year rent increases slowed down in June. This could be good news for inflation, but not anytime soon.
Rent for one-bedroom apartments went up .5% from May to June, which is less than previous months, according to data from Zumper.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Do coupons have a place in the digital economy?

Food inflation should make consumers eager for discounts. But the couponing tradition isn't keeping up with changing times.
"Coupon distribution has really tanked during the pandemic," says Lydia DePillis of The New York Times.
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

As inflation rises, this Michigan business owner is taking a chance on a second store

Jul 6, 2022
"I'm taking a very, very big risk opening another retail location," says Annie Lang Hartman, owner of the Michigan retail brand Wild Lettie.
Annie Lang Hartman has opened a second retail store, above, in Suttons Bay, Michigan.
Courtesy Annie Lang Hartman

Around a dozen states are handing out tax rebates. Could that fuel more inflation?

Jul 6, 2022
It's a bit like the stimulus payments the federal government handed out early in the pandemic. Just don't call it stimulus.
Some economists think "inflation relief checks" should be more targeted or distributed in installments.
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Even a London honey stall is caught up in Britain's historically high inflation

Jul 5, 2022
"It's a bit like pushing a boulder up a hill," says London store owner Samantha Wallace.
Bees at an apiary in Italy. "We've actually just had to, for the first time, raise our Italian honey prices," said Samantha Wallace.
Macro Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images

Fireworks inflation means less bang for your buck this Fourth of July

Jul 4, 2022
Prices are up for the little things you set off in your backyard and the big shows your town puts on in the park.
During the height of the pandemic, consumer fireworks sales got a boost from people who stayed home for the Fourth of July.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

As real estate market changes, broker counsels buyers and sellers to think different

Jul 4, 2022
For buyers, the competition is less fierce, but some sellers still have "pie in the sky" hopes.
The median sale price was $407,600 in May, and mortgage rates have climbed. Some would-be buyers are finding the market less affordable, yet sellers have lost some leverage, says Amanda Pohlman of Keller Williams in Cleveland.
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There's little public consensus on how to tackle inflation, new poll shows

Jul 4, 2022
The public is "at odds with expert opinion and traditional policymaking," says Eric Plutzer of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy.
When pressed about fighting inflation, survey participants say they want to hold the line on prices for essentials, says Eric Plutzer of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. But "those policies require the Congress and the president to work together."
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Consumers are pulling back on spending. They're also tapping savings and taking on debt.

Jun 30, 2022
That's good news for inflation, but it might be bad news when it comes to the risk of a recession.
The price of everything — from groceries and gasoline to discretionary purchases like travel — is going up. As a result, consumers aren't spending as freely.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images