Employment market shows signs of cooling amid rate hikes
Job openings have been edging lower since April as rising inflation tightens its grip on businesses and crimps consumer spending.
Inflation
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Inflation weighs on back-to-school buying for many families
This back-to-school shopping season, parents—particularly in the low to middle income bracket—are focusing on the basics while also trading down to cheaper stores amid surging inflation, which hit a new 40-year high in June.
Inflation, wage data suggest U.S. prices will keep climbing
An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Fed jumped 6.8% in June from a year ago, the government said Friday, the biggest such jump in four decades. Much of the increase was driven by energy and food.
U.S. consumer spending barely rose in June as inflation picked up
Businesses have already noticed changes in consumer behavior as inflation erodes workers’ discretionary incomes.
U.S. economy shrank 0.9% last quarter, its 2nd straight drop
The decline that the Commerce Department reported Thursday in the gross domestic product—the broadest gauge of the economy—followed a 1.6% annual drop from January through March.
Fed unleashes another big rate hike in bid to curb inflation
The Fed is tightening credit even while the economy has begun to slow, thereby heightening the risk that its rate hikes will cause a recession later this year or next.
Fed set to impose another big rate hike to fight inflation
When it ends its latest policy meeting Wednesday afternoon, the Fed is expected to impose a second consecutive three-quarter-point hike in its benchmark interest rate, raising it to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.
Indiana House proposes larger, costlier taxpayer ‘refund’ plan
House and Senate Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly remain on a collision course over how to provide inflation relief for Hoosiers after committees from both chambers passed bills that take vastly different approaches.
Consumer goods giant Unilever hikes prices for products but expects strong sales
Unilever, which owns 400 consumer brands ranging from Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to Dove skin care, raised prices by more than 11% between April and June as inflation surged around the world.
Consumer confidence slides for third straight month in July
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell largely due to consumer anxiety over the current economic conditions, particularly four-decade high inflation.
Walmart cuts profit outlook as shoppers adapt to inflation
Walmart’s move to lower its profit outlook in the middle of the quarter is rare and raised worries about how inflation, the highest in 40 years, is affecting the entire consumer sector.
Yellen downplays U.S. recession risk as economic reports loom
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen spoke just before a slew of economic reports will be released this week that will shed light on an economy currently besieged by rampant inflation and threatened by higher interest rates.
More workers picking up extra jobs to pay for gas, food
While people taking on multiple jobs is typically a sign of a healthy job market where workers have more job opportunities available, it is also a sign of increasing financial strain on Americans’ pocketbooks.
Hoosier farmers struggle with high costs, low supplies, little rain
Farmers and agricultural experts say the continued effects of the pandemic, government policy decisions and far-reaching impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are also contributing factors.
U.S. retail sales top forecast, keeping big Fed rate hike in focus
Nine of the 13 retail categories showed increases last month, according to the report, including furniture stores, e-commerce and sporting-goods stores.
Fed board member opens door to 1-point hike if demand rises
Such an increase would mark a further ramping up of the Fed’s rate hikes as it intensifies its fight against accelerating inflation. The Fed hasn’t raised its rate by 1 percentage point in several decades.
Wholesale inflation in June surged 11.3% from a year ago
Last month’s jump in wholesale inflation was led by energy prices, which soared 54% from a year earlier.
Analysis: Recession risks rise as Fed faces daunting task
The latest inflation reading was supposed to offer hope that the U.S. economy had weathered the worst of the storm. But there was nothing reassuring in Wednesday’s report.
Fed could weigh historic 100 basis-point hike after inflation scorcher
Investors upped bets the central bank could make a one percentage-point rate hike at its July 26-27 meeting—which would be the largest increase of the modern Federal Reserve era.
U.S. inflation reached 40-year high of 9.1% in June
Rising costs have seeped into nearly every corner of the economy, with grocery prices jumping 12.2% compared with a year ago. Rents have risen 5.8% and new car prices have increased 11.4%.