What is the employment cost index and what does it tell us about the economy?

Oct 31, 2024
The Labor Department's quarterly employment cost index basically tells us how much employers are paying their employees.
The employment cost index basically tells us how much employers are paying their employees.
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The Fed's about to get its preferred measure of inflation. Here's what it could mean.

Oct 30, 2024
The PCE index could come in at the central bank's much-vaunted target of 2% inflation.
The PCE may have dipped to or close to the Federal Reserve's 2% inflation goal, thanks in part to falling gas prices.
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Inflation is falling, but consumers aren't celebrating yet

Oct 10, 2024
The September CPI showed inflation slowing to 2.4% annually, but consumer sentiment hasn't yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.
People are still feeling down about the persistence of high prices.
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The economics behind a new program protecting undocumented family members of U.S. citizens

Aug 21, 2024
Work permits can increase wages, workforce participation and job potential for undocumented immigrants.
Having immigration status tends to increase the wages of undocumented workers, according to the Dallas Fed's Pia Orrenius.
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Why the so-called “left behind” bloc might be doing better than you think

The Economist digs into data regarding those who lost their jobs in manufacturing.
Above, the Gautier Steel Mill in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in September 2016. "The traditional Rust Belt states ... actually have had lower unemployment rates than the national average," said The Economist's Zanny Minton-Beddoes.
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How the consumers of Kent County, Michigan feel about the economy

Aug 6, 2024
The regional economy isn't in bad shape, but many folks say it's hard to get by.
Adreanah Neely says it's hard to find a job right now in Kent County.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer/Marketplace

McDonald's sales slipped. That may mean lower-income consumers feel pinched.

Jul 29, 2024
Reporting quarterly results, the fast-food company said customers "continue to be more intentional with the dollars they spend."
McDonald's weak results are prompting varied interpretations. Maybe consumers are tightening their budgets, or maybe they're moving higher up the food chain.
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For public good, not for profit.

Continuing unemployment claims hit highest level in more than 2 years

Jul 18, 2024
It may be another data point that helps convince the Fed to start cutting interest rates.
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A closer look at wage measures hints at why consumers still feel gloomy

Jul 4, 2024
Average wage growth has slowed in recent months, though according to the May jobs report, it’s still ahead of inflation.
"While wages have grown across the board, we've actually had the strongest wage growth among the lowest earners," says Valerie Wilson at the Economic Policy Institute.
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Economy looms large as United Kingdom heads to polls

Jul 3, 2024
Voting in the U.K.'s general election takes place on Thursday, and the economy has been at the center of the campaign.
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