Slate Daily Feed What Next - The Unaffordable Economy
Dec 17, 2025
Catherine Rampell, an economics editor and commentator known for her insightful analyses, joins the discussion on the current economic landscape. She explores why prices are still rising despite a slowing economy and examines the misleading nature of good headlines. Rampell delves into essential costs like housing and healthcare that strain household budgets and debates the role of presidential policies on economic health. She emphasizes the impact of tariffs on inflation and warns against political influences on the Federal Reserve's independence.
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Jobs Numbers May Overstate Hiring
- Headline job gains can mask measurement problems and weaker underlying hiring.
- The Fed flagged the report may overstate payroll growth by roughly 60,000 jobs.
Isolated Price Changes Don't Equal Low Inflation
- One-off price drops (like eggs) don't change the overall inflation trend.
- Overall inflation fell from its peak but remains above the 2% Fed target at around 3%.
Why Falling Prices Can Signal Economic Danger
- Overall price level typically trends upward; sustained falling prices indicate dangerous deflation.
- The Fed aims for modest positive inflation (~2%) to support stable growth, not price declines.