A man walks past a grocery store on February 01, 2023 in New York City. Wages for workers in most major U.S. cities grew at a slower pace in the final three months of 2022, with inflation still outstripping pay for many workers.
Leonardo Munoz | Corbis News | Getty Images
High inflation has followed the U.S. economy into 2023, as consumers continued to see high prices in January.
Inflation rose 0.5% for the month and 6.4% over the past 12 months, according to consumer price index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday. Both results were higher than some economists’ expectations, which had predicted 0.4% for the month and 6.2% year over year.
“It’s clear that the Federal Reserve has more to do in order to continue to slow down inflation,” said Eugenio Aleman, chief economist at Raymond James.
More from Personal Finance:
64% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck
What is a ‘rolling recession’ and how does it impact you?
Almost half of Americans think we’re already in a recession
The CPI measures the average change in consumer prices based on a broad basket of goods and services.
Notable increases included shelter, food, gasoline and natural gas, according to the BLS.
Categories that increased in January include motor vehicle insurance, recreation, apparel, and household furnishings and operations. Other areas that saw a monthly decline in prices include used cars and trucks, medical care, and airline fares.
Inflation recovery ‘will not be a straight line’
After two years of inflation, the process of getting those high prices under control will continue this year, though it will take time, according to Aleman.
The annual inflation rate should subside by midyear, Aleman predicts. But there then could be upward momentum followed by downward momentum, he said.
“It will not be a straight line during the rest of the year,” Aleman said.
Consumers will be poised to benefit going forward as inflation comes down, he said.
“It is true that inflation is not…
Read the full article here
