Staff Reports
Consumer inflation has experienced another surge in the latest month, as per the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Tuesday. The data indicates that the cost of gasoline, food, and shelter has risen, which is an unfortunate reality that Americans are encountering during the Biden administration.
CPI for all items rises 0.4% in February as shelter increases #CPI #BLSdata https://t.co/dJyJeKlXDJ
— BLS-Labor Statistics (@BLS_gov) March 14, 2023
As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a month-over-month increase of 0.4 percent in the headline and a 6.0 percent year-over-year increase, which meets Wall Street estimates. However, the core CPI number, excluding the volatile food and energy prices, reported a 0.5 percent month-over-month increase, which was higher than expected. This is a cause for concern as prices are continuing to rise unfavorably after a spike in January.
US CPI for February YoY:
Expected: 6.0%
Actual: 6.0%Inflation is stubborn and does not want to go down so quickly.
Will this prevent Powell from stopping interest rate hikes at next week's FOMC meeting following the unfolding banking crisis? Is the Fed in a trap?#FOMC… https://t.co/8XtwXmB3wx
— Klips (@OfficialKlips) March 14, 2023
Hot Inflation Report Puts Federal Reserve in a Bind https://t.co/4d3TQrtqMT
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 14, 2023
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report only confirms the difficulties Americans face when paying for fundamental necessities such as shelter and food. The report highlights that the recent CPI rise was primarily due to an increase in shelter costs, which accounted for over 70 percent of the surge in February, according to government data. Over the last year, energy costs have increased by 13.3 percent, transportation by 14.6 percent, and the food index by 9.5 percent, exacerbating the struggle of individuals to pay for these basic essentials.
The surging prices of everyday food items cannot be ignored, and the latest data is a testament to that. The most substantial price increases for food products have occurred since February 2022 for eggs (55.4 percent), margarine (39.8 percent), pet food (15.2 percent), food at secondary and elementary schools (299.7 percent), sauces and gravies (15.5 percent), airline fares (26.5 percent), frozen vegetables (21.4 percent), ice cream (13.9 percent) and cookies (16.6 percent). These price hikes can accumulate and become a significant burden for families who are already struggling to make ends meet.
To make matters worse, the real wages of Americans are still falling behind inflation, with a decrease of -0.02 percent month-over-month and -1.4 percent over the previous 12 months. This implies that despite working hard and receiving regular paychecks, individuals are losing financial ground every month due to the increasing cost of living under the Biden administration.
With the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting next week to determine the Fed's next steps on interest rates, it is evident that action must be taken to tackle the surging inflation. Although Fed Chair Jerome Powell had previously indicated that interest rate hikes might rise in 2023, we cannot rely on the Fed to uphold its commitments.
The recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have raised concerns about financial institutions that are unable to cope with the high-interest environment created by the Fed to combat inflation. This highlights the importance of having responsible leadership at the helm of the Federal Reserve. Americans must be cautious about the Fed's forthcoming actions and anticipate that the leaders at the top make choices that prioritize the requirements of the American people over their political interests.
