Category Archives: COVID-19

Financial FAQs FREDcpiinflation Fed Chair Jerome Powell just said Americans must now feel the pain if the Fed is to bring inflation back to its long-term 2 percent annual target. But why 2 percent? It was the inflation rate that … Continue reading →

Popular Economics Weekly BEA.gov It looks like the slowdown in US economic growth may end as quickly as it began. Second quarter economic growth was slightly less negative in the BEA’s second estimate of GDP growth, because key drivers of … Continue reading →

Popular Economics Weekly MarketWatch I said last month that the June labor market was hot. It was even hotter in July. Every industry in the Labor Department’s unemployment report had positive job growth in July, with Education and Health alone … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs Calculated Risk I was being a bit facetious last week when I said that calling a recession at this time because we may have two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth is almost irrelevant, because it may be … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs Conference-Board.org Calling a recession at this time because we may have two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth is almost irrelevant, because it may be over as quickly as the artificially induced 2-month recession in April-May 2020 (see … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs FREDretailsales U.S. retail sales rebounded strongly in June as Americans spent more on gasoline and other goods amid soaring inflation, which could allay fears of an imminent recession but not change the view that economic growth in the … Continue reading →

Financial FAQs Tradingeconomics.com Not all inflation endangers economic growth but the short answer is when inflation becomes so prolonged that consumers can no longer afford to consume. And that hasn’t happened yet, with consumer spending still at pandemic highs. The … Continue reading →