Small Businesses Express Concerns to Fed's Powell About Inflation and Interest Rates
💰 Small Businesses Express Concerns to Fed's Powell About Inflation and Interest Rates.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Patrick Harker, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, visited York, Pennsylvania, to hear the concerns of small-business owners grappling with inflation, high interest rates, labor shortages, and post-pandemic economic challenges. Businesspeople expressed optimism but mentioned issues like labor shortages, higher interest rates hindering expansion, and supply chain disruptions. Powell assured them that the Fed is working on addressing inflation. The local economy is growing, but businesses worry about high interest rates and unresolved inflation, along with a lack of childcare facilities affecting workforce participation.
This shift comes as fast food joints across California, like McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, and Pizza Hut, have bumped their prices by about 10% since last September.
Across the United States, municipal governments are tightening their belts as the financial support from the pandemic era fades and inflation persists.
In 2023, the average monthly electricity bill for U.S. homes nudged up by 2% to $138, which was actually less dramatic compared to the overall inflation rate of 4.1%.
Following California's new $20-an-hour minimum wage law that kicked in on April 1, fast food joints across the state have bumped up their menu prices.
In recent years, Americans have adjusted their retirement savings targets significantly.
In April, U.S. consumer sentiment took a sharper downturn than expected, hitting 77.9 from March's 79.4, reflecting growing concerns over inflation which continues to influence the economic outlook.
In California, a significant new law has just kicked in, raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour.
In the not-so-distant future, your ideal burger munching time might not align with your growling stomach.
In February, inflation spiked more than expected due to higher gas prices, yet slowed in other areas like food and housing, offering a silver lining.
Gold prices soared to a new record high on Friday, driven by reports of a rise in the U.S. unemployment rate.
A recent viral social media post sparked a lively discussion about the prices at Five Guys, a popular burger chain in America.
It's no secret that many Americans are grappling with credit card debt, with a Bankrate survey revealing that one in three adults had more credit card debt than savings in both 2023 and 2024.
In 2021 and 2022, as inflation surged, the Federal Reserve was criticized for delaying interest rate hikes, allowing prices to soar. Now, with inflation easing, there's concern the Fed might move too slowly to cut rates, risking a recession, some economists argue.
In January, the U.S. economy added a surprising 353,000 jobs, surpassing economists' predictions of 177,000.
Hidden inflationary costs are squeezing corporate profits, and it's not just the usual suspects like input and freight costs.
During the holiday season, online spending hit a record high, increasing by 4.9% year over year, totaling $222.1 billion, according to Adobe Analytics.
Developers of the proposed offshore wind farm near Long Beach, Long Island, announced the termination of the Empire Wind 2 project due to economic challenges - including inflation, increased interest rates, and supply chain disruptions.
As we gear up for 2024 - a big election year - it's hard not to think of James Carville's famous line from 1992, "It's the economy, stupid."
Economist Harry Dent is making a dire prediction for the markets in 2024, citing overvalued markets and excessive stimulus spending as causes for concern.
The Federal Reserve's announcement of a pause in benchmark interest rates and a forecast of rate cuts next year led to a surge in stock indexes to one-year highs.
Gas prices in the United States are dropping, with the national average at $3.137 per gallon, down 9 cents from the previous week and the lowest of the year.
Hasbro, known for Monopoly and Play-Doh, is cutting 1,100 jobs, approximately 20% of its workforce, due to disappointing sales ahead of the holiday season.
In October, job openings in the United States decreased significantly to 8.7 million, marking the lowest level since March 2021, according to the Labor Department.
The Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living 2023 report reveals that New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are among the top 10 most expensive cities to live in.
In October, signed contracts to buy previously owned homes in the U.S. plummeted to a record low due to surging mortgage rates, with the National Association of Realtors reporting a 1.5% decline in its pending home sales index, the lowest since its inception in 2001.
The White House plans to use the Defense Production Act, a cold-war era law, to address supply chain issues contributing to inflation.
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McDonald's has revealed that it is gaining middle- and higher-income customers who are trading down to its menu while simultaneously losing lower-income diners due to high inflation.
California's reputation for high living costs is well-known, but a recent report from Forbes Advisor highlights other areas across the United States that can put a strain on your wallet.