The US economy registered a 7% increase in prices in 2021, an inflation that
had not been reached since 1982
, the Labor Department reported on Wednesday.
The coronavirus pandemic, which is two years old but still sets a record for cases and hospitalizations, has hit production and supply chains, closing factories and collapsing shipping routes, thus altering product availability and prices, they explain. experts.
[The shortage of products in the United States worsens: these are the reasons]
The so-called basic index, an estimate that includes all items except food and fuel, which have more volatile prices, rose 5.5% in 2021, the biggest rise since 1991.
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An analysis of the report shows that some of the fastest rising costs are for
used cars, housing and food
, The New York Times reported.
"Supply has not been able to respond to increased demand and property prices have skyrocketed," Moody's Investor Services explained in an analysis of the data.
"Disruptions in supply, especially for semiconductor devices, have also contributed to shortages of expensive items like new and used cars, and pushed prices up."
Prices for housing increased 0.4%, used cars and trucks 3.5% and food prices increased 0.5%.
In mid-December, the Federal Reserve announced that it would likely
raise interest rates three times in 2022
to curb inflation
, although it kept its benchmark rate close to zero.
High inflation is a
"serious threat"
to the economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday during a Senate hearing on his second term as head of the Central Bank.
However, he was optimistic that supply chain problems will ease this year and that would help lower prices.
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Dec. 29, 202100: 26
The December data reflects the first impact of the increase in cases per omicron.
The effect of the new highly contagious variant varies by sector.
Prices have dropped slightly for travel, recreation and other face-to-face services, but increased infections are feared to reduce labor and drop food production.
