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Inflation ticked up to 3.4% in December. How are wages doing?

Jan 11, 2024
Wage growth is slowing, and those at the top of the earnings spectrum have done better than those at the lower end.
“When wage growth was very hot, the job switchers could go get another job and get a pretty good increase," said Frank Fiorille at Paychex. "We’ve really seen that come off the boil.”
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If inflation slowed down in 2023, why is my grocery bill so high?

Jan 10, 2024
2023 was officially a very good year for the US economy: unemployment stayed near record lows, the markets were strong, and inflation came under control. So with all this good news, why does looking at the grocery bill still feel a little like getting poked with a cattle prod? 
Ranchers watch as cow prices are bid up at a cattle auction in Caldwell, Idaho.
Stacey Vanek Smith

The biggest global risks of 2024

Geopolitical conflicts persist, and a political war rages inside the U.S. as elections approach, observes Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

After the long night of inflation, consumers finally expect to see the sun

Jan 8, 2024
Consumers forecast inflation at 3% a year from now, the lowest their short-term expectations have been in three years.
One reason consumers are feeling better about inflation is that major price hikes for essentials like gasoline and eggs appear to be in the past. But that doesn't mean prices will fall.
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Consumers are cranky though the economy is OK

Jan 8, 2024
Worries about inflation persist even as wages are rising but will consumer sentiment improve this year?
A portrait showing the sentiment of the modern American consumer.
Studio Grand Web/Getty Images

Streaming, housing, gas: How much did prices change in 2023?

Dec 29, 2023
Your monthly streaming bill and mortgage payment might have gone up, but gas and egg prices cooled down.
This has been “the least affordable year for homebuying on record," according to a report from Redfin.
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So when do we all start accepting that high inflation isn't a thing any more?

Dec 26, 2023
Businesses may not have an incentive to lower prices if consumers are still in an inflation mindset.
Spending on discretionary items can be tougher to cut back on when everything costs more. Some consumers see that extra spending as a way to cope with the stress of inflation, says Andy Manthei at GreenPath Financial Wellness.

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Restaurants outpacing grocery stores when it comes to inflation

Dec 25, 2023
Supermarkets and restaurants business relies on selling food. So why are prices rising more in the latter?
On average, labor costs eat up about 30% of a restaurant’s gross revenue.
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How holiday tamale makers are managing inflation

Dec 20, 2023
We talked to two Albuquerque tamale makers about handling their costs and gearing up for the festive seasonal push.
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What's the difference between disinflation and deflation?

Dec 18, 2023
Inflation has fallen sharply in the last year and a half, but prices haven't come down. Economists say that's not a bad thing.
You can compare changes in consumer prices to driving a car. Disinflation is like reducing  your speed, but still moving ahead. Deflation, however, would be driving in reverse.
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