Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Editors’ Note: There are different ways to calculate inflation. Unfortunately, the government tends to dominate the field with its CPI or Consumer Price Index. But the government is often not an unbiased observer. For one thing, the government changes its methodology from time to time, making historic comparisons challenging. Government historically causes inflation in most […]
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes
Personal income rose 0.5 percent in February, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (see first chart). Personal income data over the past two years have been sharply distorted by lockdown policies which caused massive layoffs, and government stimulus programs that sent transfer payments skyrocketing. As distortions fade, personal income is returning to […]
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
The AIER Everyday Price Index increased by 0.6 percent in September, the tenth consecutive month of gain. Over the last 10 months, the monthly increases have been between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent, putting the 10-month gain at 7.5 percent or an annualized pace of 9.1 percent. Including the two months prior to the run […]
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes
New orders for durable goods posted a gain in March, rising 0.5 percent following a drop of 0.9 percent in February. Total durable-goods orders are up 2.4 percent from a year ago. The March gain puts the level of total durable-goods orders at $256.3 billion, the fourth highest on record after the January reading of […]