Marketplace All-in-One February inflation data shows more of the same
Apr 9, 2026
Doug Bernauer, CEO of Radiant who builds factory-made one-megawatt nuclear reactors for hospitals and data centers. Catherine Ann Edwards, labor economist who studies GDP, inflation, and labor trends. Elizabeth Trowbaugh, reporter covering manufacturing and energy and the plastics shortage. They discuss rising PCE inflation, GDP revision context, plastics shortages from Strait disruptions, and microreactor use cases and testing plans.
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Stagflation Risk Meets A More Credible Fed
- Slowing growth plus rising inflation raises stagflation risk, but the Fed today is better positioned than in the 1970s.
- Edwards emphasizes the Fed's clearer inflation targeting and credibility compared with past policy mistakes.
Rising Long Term Unemployment Signals Hidden Pain
- Unemployment rate is low overall, but long-term unemployment (6+ months) is rising, a first-time increase outside a recession.
- Edwards calls this localized pain that hasn't yet met the threshold to label the economy in recession.
Houston Molder Feels Pinch From Global Plastic Shortage
- Texas Injection Molding in Houston uses about 8 million pounds of plastic annually and faces 10–20¢/lb price jumps that significantly raise input costs.
- Elizabeth Trowbaugh reports polyethylene and polypropylene contract prices rose ~20% in March due to oil, gas, and Gulf export disruptions.