Economy

Initial jobless claims last week were a bit higher than expected but still reflective of a labor market where employers are loathe to fire workers. First-time claims for benefits in the week ended April 16 totaled 184,000, a decline of 2,000 from the previous week but just ahead of the Dow Jones estimate for 182,000,

[The stream is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks Thursday on a panel presented by the International Monetary Fund. CNBC’s Sara Eisen will moderate the talk. The event is part of the IMF’s

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell affirmed the central bank’s determination to bring down inflation and said Thursday that aggressive rate hikes are possible as soon as next month. “It is appropriate in my view to be moving a little more quickly” to raise interest rates, Powell said while part of an International Monetary Fund panel.

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester said Friday she’s in favor of raising interest rates quickly to bring down inflation, but not so quickly as to disrupt the economic recovery. That means a strong likelihood of backing a 50 basis point rate hike at the next Fed meeting and perhaps a few more after, but

The prices that goods and services producers receive rose in March at the fastest pace since records have been kept, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The producer price index, which measures the prices paid by wholesalers, increased 11.2% from a year ago, the most in a data series going back to November 2010.

Getting inflation under control will require raising interest rates at a faster pace than normal even though the pace of price increases probably has peaked, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Wednesday. That means the central bank likely will hike short-term rates by half a percentage point, or 50 basis points, at its meeting in

Customers pushing shopping carts shop at a supermarket on April 12, 2022 in San Mateo County, California. Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty Images Consumers continued to spend in March even as inflation rose to its highest level since late 1981, according to government data released Thursday. Retail sales climbed 0.5% from the

A contractor uses a hammer while working on townhouse under construction at the PulteGroup Metro housing development in Milpitas, California. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Sharply rising mortgage rates are taking their toll on the nation’s homebuilders, as already pricey new construction becomes even less affordable.  Builder confidence in the market for

Republican activists seek drivers’ attention as they work to register voters to their party at a gas station in Garden Grove, California, U.S., March 29, 2022.  Mike Blake | Reuters Matthew Rice doesn’t have to look hard for signs of inflation in Savannah, Ga. A gallon of gas cost $2.79 a few months ago, he

A motorist pumps gas at a Valero station along Encinitas Blvd in Encinitas, CA on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Sandy Huffaker | The Washington Post | Getty Images Worries are increasing over inflation, with new Federal Reserve data showing a record-high fear over surging prices. Consumers now see inflation hitting 6.6% over the next year,

A customer selects food from a freezer at a supermarket on January 12, 2022 in New York City. Liao Pan | China News Service | Getty Images Consumer price inflation in March is expected to have risen the most since December 1981, driven by higher food costs, rising rents and runaway energy prices. The consumer

Prices that consumers pay on everyday items surged in March to their highest levels since the early days of the Reagan administration, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday. The consumer price index, which measures a wide-ranging basket of goods and services, jumped 8.5% from a year ago on an unadjusted basis, above even the

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images As the coronavirus pandemic wears on and government aid sent at the beginning of the crisis runs out, Americans are feeling the impact of tight budgets. One-quarter of Americans said that they felt financially stressed all the time last year, according to a CNBC + Acorns Invest in

White House press secretary Jen Psaki answers questions during the daily briefing on March 09, 2022 in Washington, DC. Psaki answered a range of questions related primarily to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is bracing for Tuesday’s key consumer inflation report to show that the prices

The Federal Reserve building is seen before the Federal Reserve board is expected to signal plans to raise interest rates in March as it focuses on fighting inflation in Washington, January 26, 2022. Joshua Roberts | Reuters If there was any question about where the Federal Reserve stands on the key issue of the day

San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank chief of research Mary Daly stands near the podium before a speech at the CFA Society in San Francisco, California, U.S. July 10 2018. Ann Saphir | Reuters San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly is worried about inflation, telling an audience Tuesday that the high cost of living is causing

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 27: Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker visits “Mornings With Maria” at Fox Business Network Studios on September 27, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images) John Lamparski | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker joined the chorus of central

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on “the State of the International Financial System,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 6, 2022. Tom Brenner | Reuters Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen cautioned Wednesday that Russia’s attack on Ukraine could cause a major hit to the global economy. “Russia’s