Consumer spending jumped in January, which was good news for retailers but could weigh on the Federal Reserve’s efforts to tame rapid inflation.
Category: Consumer Behavior
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Big Brands Keep Raising Prices, With Limited Shopper Resistance
Consumers continue to absorb significant price increases by PepsiCo, Unilever and others. The companies say that prices will remain high in the months to come.
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Smaller Rate Increase by Federal Reserve Likely as Inflation Cools
America’s central bank is expected to raise rates by a quarter point on Wednesday. The question now is what comes next.
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Consumer Spending Slid Again in December
Fresh data offered more detail on how shoppers retrenched at the end of 2022.
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U.S. Economy Grew at 2.9% Annual Rate in Fourth Quarter
Activity at the end of last year showed the resilience of American consumers and businesses in the face of rising inflation and interest rates.
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Inflation Is Cooling, Leaving America Asking: What Comes Next?
After six months of declines, inflation seems to be turning a corner. But the road back to normal is an uncertain one.
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Retail Sales Fell in December as Holiday Shoppers Held Back
Weaker-than-expected results, including at popular holiday shopping destinations like electronics outlets and department stores, showed how concerns about inflation are affecting consumers.
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US Employers Added 223,000 jobs in December
The Federal Reserve’s moves to cool the economy with higher interest rates seem to be taking gentle hold. Wage growth lost momentum.
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Tesla Car Sales Rose 18% in Last Quarter
The company’s rapid growth is expected to ease as the economy slows and demand for its electric cars weakens.
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Why It’s Hard to Predict What the Economy Will Look Like in 2023
Years into the pandemic, it is still difficult to get a handle on what comes next for the economy by looking at examples from the past.
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Inflation Forecasts Were Wrong Last Year. Should We Believe Them Now?
Economists misjudged how much staying power inflation would have. Next year could be better — but there’s ample room for humility.