Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the cost of living continues to outpace earnings, leaving many Americans struggling to make ends meet.

The dynamic is reflected in the chart below, which shows low-income inflation increases outpacing those for the other four quintiles since 2006, and over a nearer-term timeframe. From the end of 2005 through June 2024 — the latest available data — the lowest-income cohort saw prices increase 64%,

The Consumer Price Index report for January is expected to show broadly unchanged annual inflation according to nowcasts. That may be broadly good news for the Fed.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday opted to hold interest rates steady amid rising inflation, ending a streak of lowering rates at its previous three meetings. After a two-day meeting of its monetary policy committee in Washington,

And all this productivity is why wage growth keeps beating inflation, said Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan. “Real wage growth has to come from productivity growth. Because we’re doing more with less, we get more in the end,” she said.

How much has rising inflation since 2020 cost you? While Iowans need to spend more to maintain their standard of living, wages have also increased.

Economists like me rely on data from federal data collection agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). They provide critical data on

Federal Reserve policymakers voted Wednesday to hold interest rates steady in its first rate decision of the year.

According to BLS, natural gas prices in the metro Atlanta area were up almost 15% while gasoline rose nearly 4%, though electricity costs fell 2.1%. The next look at the Atlanta area’s price trends will be published in March.

Data from TSCL’s 2024 Senior Survey shows 62% of older Americans worry their retirement income won’t even cover essentials such as groceries and medical bills. Will 2026's COLA increase help?

The new data were published Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in its report for gross domestic product for the fourth quarter.

President Donald Trump is renewing his old attacks on the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, after the independent body voted to hold interest rates steady in its first rate decision of the year.