Inflation, the rate of change of prices, is very unpopular because it erodes purchasing power. Our posts explore the different causes of inflation and its economic costs; the difficulties associated with measuring inflation over time; the policy tools available to combat high inflation and their limitations; and insights into how inflation differs across sectors of the economy.
December 11, 2021
Inflation was 6.8% in November 2021. Whether it is likely to continue increasing depends on different factors that contribute to a generalized rise in prices.
November 12, 2021
Consumers are experiencing the highest annual grocery price increases in a decade and the highest annual restaurant price increases since the early 1980s.
October 7, 2021
COVID supply disruptions, evident in product shortages at the retail level, were an important driver of inflation a year after the start of the crisis.
September 21, 2021
A look at how inflation is calculated, the factors that have contributed to the recent rise in inflation, and the dangers posed by high and ongoing inflation.
December 15, 2020
The Fed’s new framework for inflation and employment imply letting the economy run "hot" in ways that could benefit low-income and minority communities.
December 18, 2019
Michael Klein, Executive Editor of EconoFact and Dan Sichel (Wellesley) highlight some of the problems with low inflation.
October 8, 2019
Inflation has averaged just over 1-1/2 percent over the past decade. With unemployment at historic lows, continued soft inflation poses a puzzle and a challenge.
August 13, 2018
Accounting for inflation would tax the increase in the real purchasing power of an asset rather than the increase in value that reflects overall rising prices.
August 6, 2017
The Federal Reserve Bank has persistently undershot its inflation target of 2 percent. This level of low inflation is puzzling, given the low unemployment.