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Federal Reserve lifts interest rates a quarter point

Mar 16, 2022
Citing high inflation and the tight labor market, Fed Chair Jerome Powell announces the first rate hike since 2018.
Powell: The Fed is "committed to bringing inflation back down and also sustaining the economic expansion.”
Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images

February was another disappointment for retail sales

Mar 16, 2022
They've been up and down like a bouncing ball for the past few months.
Not adjusting for inflation, retail sales in February were up just 0.3% over January. Factoring in inflation, they were actually down.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Stress persists 2 years into the pandemic economy

Mar 11, 2022
We talked with two people who were out of work in March 2020 about how the pandemic has affected their personal economies.
Life has changed: People continue to grapple with new economic conditions, including higher prices.
Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

Why do we care about "core" inflation?

Mar 9, 2022
The core measure strips out food and energy prices, two of the biggest contributors to inflation today.
Food prices were up 7% year over year in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but core inflation takes food and energy out of the equation.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
The sun sets behind smoke rising from a refining plant in Houston.
Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

The question the retail world is asking right now: Sell cheap or hold?

Feb 22, 2022
Rising inflation will change the calculus for some apparel wholesalers.
Inflation may allow wholesalers to turn a profit on older goods that would ordinarily be sold at a discount.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Inflation's already increasing the cost of goods. The cost of services could be next.

Feb 22, 2022
The services sector has been feeling the pinch of higher costs, particularly when it comes to wages.
Wages for workers in service industries like catering and child care have gone up in the tight labor market.
Sean Gardner/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Do consumers expect discounts when inflation is running hot?

Feb 18, 2022
President's Day weekend is usually marked by sales. But both supply chain shortages and inflation are complicating the hunt for a bargain.
Walmart reported strong earnings this week, as consumers try to find bargains at a bargain-scarce time.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Forget stagflation. Retail sales point to a "boomflation" economy.

Feb 16, 2022
The monthly gauge rose 3.8%, showing that Americans are eager to shop despite inflation. It could further push the Fed to hike rates.
People are eager to shop, despite inflation and gloomy views of the economy.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Americans are buying a whole lot of furniture

Feb 16, 2022
Home furnishing sales went up 7.2% month over month in January, but why are people buying so much furniture?
Furniture sales climbed in January as people made themselves more comfortable at home.
Getty Images