When Veronica Gutierrez lost her warehouse job at the onset of the pandemic, she worried about making ends meet to provide for her eight children in Riverside, CA. Doing deliveries for Uber Eats and DoorDash made sense because of the flexibility it provided – she could pause work at a […]
Uncategorized
March Jobs Report Expected To Show Another Month of Robust Hiring
Hiring is likely to have remained robust in March, showing the economy continues to improve at a time when concerns about the Russia-Ukraine war and high inflation have muddled the outlook. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimate that the Labor Department report will show employers added 423,000 nonfarm payrolls this month, […]
Economic recovery continues but shows signs of inflation struggles
Americans slowed their spending spree in February, a sign that consumers are beginning to react to the runup in inflation. Consumption rose by 0.2% in February, compared with a robust 2% uptick the previous month, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Meanwhile, the Personal Consumption Expenditure index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred […]
Effects of Expired Child Tax Credit Reverberate for Families, Policymakers
When Alina McKnight’s middle daughter was experiencing a lack of motivation and mental health issues during the pandemic, her mother spent a little extra money on a new outfit. In that outfit, she aced an interview for a tutoring gig. “Those two hours after school as a tutor, she’s able […]
Could February’s durable goods order decline be a fluke?
Durable goods orders decreased in February following four consecutive months of increases, which is likely due to the lingering effects of the omicron variant, but experts say there’s no cause for concern, yet. New orders for durable goods – products that have a lifespan of three years or more – […]
February Retail Sales Modestly Rise as Inflation Ensnares Consumers
Retail sales rose modestly last month as Americans continued to worry about inflation and rising food and gas costs. February retail sales were up 0.3 percent from January, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday. But the most surprising figure was revised January sales, which increased to 4.9 percent from 3.8. And […]
Inflation Hits 40-Year High: Energy, Food, Housing Costs Drive 7.9% CPI Increase
Inflation hit historic highs last month as lingering supply chain issues and global tensions over Russia’s war with Ukraine dashed policymakers’ hopes that consumer prices would moderate. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbed 7.9% in the 12 months through February — the fastest rise in year-over-year inflation since 1982. The […]
U.S. Trade Deficit Swells To New Record
The U.S. trade deficit swelled to a record high at the start of 2022, the latest sign that American demand for foreign-made goods has continued to sharply outpace shipments abroad. The trade deficit in goods and services rose by $7.7 billion, or 9.4%, to $89.7 billion in January, according to […]
Spending Jump in January Signals Economic Optimism, Tempered by Inflation
Americans went on a spending spree in January despite a wave of Coronavirus cases, indicating strong economic recovery as the pandemic recedes. Spending on goods and services rose by 2.1% during the first month of 2022, the first uptick of that measure since October, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Consumer […]
Low inventory pushes home price increases to 34 year high in 2021
Low inventory and high demand fueled historic gains for the real estate market in 2021. Nationwide home prices increased 18.8% from December 2020 to December 2021, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller housing index. The gain is the highest in the index’s 34-year history and surpasses 2020’s 10.4% increase. Home […]