New government data showed prices notching a monthly decline for the first time since April 2020, adding to an improving picture on inflation as the new year looms.

The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE), one of two major readings on inflation, fell by 0.1% between October and November, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Friday — the first monthly decline in more than 3 1/2 years.

Combined with other recent data showing disposable personal income and consumer sentiment rising, the United States’ economy appears to be heading into 2024 on strong footing even as it cools down. That has boosted expectations for a potential “soft landing” that reins in inflation without triggering mass layoffs or a recession.

  • @afraid_of_zombies
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    211 months ago

    Both of those have gone up for me the last four weeks. Inflation is not over until the day my insurance premiums and grocery bills go down. Going up at a slower rate does not mean inflation is over. Going down means it is over.

    Let me know when that happens and I will enjoy the good news.

    • @Pohl
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      -111 months ago

      No. Going down is called deflation and it’s fucking ruinous to the quality of life for people that have to live through it. Wages and prices always go up. When they mismatch, it hurts. But you don’t wish for them to go down. It’s a death spiral and nobody really knows how to reliably stop it.

      • @afraid_of_zombies
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        211 months ago

        Backwards logic right here of the economist

        If people spend less on healthcare and food for the same product and services it will be “fucking ruinous”.

        • @Pohl
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          011 months ago

          Yeah dog! Just go ahead and “do your own research” right? Fuggen “common sense” tells you what you need to know! No damned feckless eggheads telling YOU how shit actually works! All lies!!!

          • @afraid_of_zombies
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            011 months ago

            Basically yes. Economics has a predictive power of chance, bases their assumption on a sentient that has no relationship to humanity, prefers to avoid empirical evidence, and continues to advocate for ideas that benefit their employers.

            The consensus among economists is that government bailouts of banks are a good idea while wiping out student loan debt is a bad idea. This really illustrates it well. Banks employee economists so economists defend them.