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US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

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Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#41
post #7

Remember this next time you get your yearly review/raise. 4.2% is what you need to stay even, anything less is a pay cut.

Much more since the numbers are cooked anyways. Car model N cost 10k, and car model N+1 costs 15k, if N+1 has 2 more airbags, one more gear, a keyless starter it will be counted way under 50% inflation, even though you pay 50% more.

Most of the average joe's money is spent on housing + food + energy these things are all way above the calculated """average""" inflation

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#42

The Iran conflict will continue on a low flame (occasional pinpricks like now) forever. It serves the US Energy Dominance Agenda against China, Japan, India and the EU. The Trump administration does not care about "its" population. There were already rumors early in the Trump term that Trump would not mind a recession so that his real estate cronies could buy cheap foreclosures. So it is all a double win for the olig…

Absolutely hard Agree here. Thank you.

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#43
post #7

Remember this next time you get your yearly review/raise. 4.2% is what you need to stay even, anything less is a pay cut.

> 4.2% is what you need to stay even

On average, nationally. Look up your state or metropolitan-area CPI. Or better yet, track your actual expenses and project forward.

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#45
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For your interpretation: All items: +0.5% monthly; +4.2% year-over-year. Energy: +3.9% monthly; +23.5% year-over-year. Gasoline: +7.0% monthly; +40.5% year-over-year. Fuel oil: +58.9% year-over-year. Electricity: +0.6% monthly; +5.9% year-over-year. Utility natural gas: -0.5% monthly; +3.0% year-over-year. Food overall: +0.2% monthly; +3.1% year-over-year. Food at home / groceries: +0.1% monthly. Food away from home…

At least raw milk is getting cheaper

Na, the hospital/medical care that comes along with it has gone up.

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#46
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For your interpretation: All items: +0.5% monthly; +4.2% year-over-year. Energy: +3.9% monthly; +23.5% year-over-year. Gasoline: +7.0% monthly; +40.5% year-over-year. Fuel oil: +58.9% year-over-year. Electricity: +0.6% monthly; +5.9% year-over-year. Utility natural gas: -0.5% monthly; +3.0% year-over-year. Food overall: +0.2% monthly; +3.1% year-over-year. Food at home / groceries: +0.1% monthly. Food away from home…

At least raw milk is getting cheaper

And eggs! Don't forget about the eggs!

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#47
post #38
post #5

All of the increase is from energy. Oil prices.

Some businesses use that as cover to increase prices even when their costs may not have actually been affected by the price of energy. Never waste an opportunity to put the big squeeze on. Steadily rising prices will be the norm from now on. What will be interesting to see is how fast the corporate elite figure they can boil the frogs without them noticing too much. $50.00 hotdog is coming.

This cannot be emphasized enough. The rise in egg prices was such a thing. Avian flu was an impact, but not to the degree that egg prices increased. Those producers are reporting record profits.

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#48
post #7

Remember this next time you get your yearly review/raise. 4.2% is what you need to stay even, anything less is a pay cut.

Typically, you need a little more to make up for the difference in how much more taxes you pay at the marginal end vs the average for your total income...

The median earner with a standard deduction would need a ~4.7% raise to stay even...

"Inflation" is also increasingly distributed unevenly. The top 10% continues to make up a larger and larger portion of spending. It is entirely possible for ~4.2% inflation to be substantially higher (or lower) for the median household than the overall reported number.

Re: US Consumer Price Index up 4.2%

#49
post #7

Remember this next time you get your yearly review/raise. 4.2% is what you need to stay even, anything less is a pay cut.

Not necessarily, depends on the distribution of your own expenses. If you deviate from the average urban household (lets say, you have a particularly long commute or your car isn't as fuel efficient as the average. Look at the increase on fuel prices, 40.5%!). If you're at $5,000/month, a 4.2% raise puts you at $5,210. If you're spending $600/month on gas (not unreasonable for someone that drives an SUV and lives in…

>> If you're at $5,000/month, a 4.2% raise puts you at $5,210. If you're spending $600/month on gas (not unreasonable for someone that drives an SUV and lives in the suburbs instead of in the urban core), you still come out behind.

This is the problem with people treat CPI as some word from the heavens...it is not. CPI is a highly constructed figure which conveniently includes/excludes things and is really more a floor of what the inflation is. Anyone living in the real world knows experienced inflation is way higher.

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