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submitted 11 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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.

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 47 points 11 months ago

The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE), one of two major readings on inflation, fell by 0.1% between October and November

Oh thank god! A tenth of a percent! Everything's affordable again! Champaign and caviar for all!

[-] Paddzr@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Only another 150% to go!

[-] csm10495@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

Aren't we back to daily Starbucks?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

I could never afford daily Starbucks to begin with. (Also, I think their coffee is awful.)

[-] FunkyMonk@kbin.social 37 points 11 months ago

Oh no, did the orphan crushing machine get a little tuckered out?

[-] be_excellent_to_each_other@kbin.social 18 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

"Sir, we can only count all these dollars so fast!"

"Fine, cut back consumer prices. But only 0.1% mind you!" (wrings hands and chuckles while imagining all the folks choosing between healthcare and food)

[-] thatgirlwasfire@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Sounds like an excuse for a company to double their margins

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago

No they didn't. I don't care how they manipulated the data.

[-] PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago

Yeah, the issue with consumer price index is that it can be manipulated. It’s just a price list for commonly bought items. But that list can be changed to suit the study.

[-] blazeknave@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

The irony is that higher CPI increases GDP and capitalism. Many contracts define allowable year over year renewal price increase by the CPI.

[-] BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social -4 points 11 months ago

The pathological inability some people have to not be able to accept any good news ever always surprises me.

[-] winterayars@sh.itjust.works 11 points 11 months ago

The reported drop is probably inside margin of error.

[-] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

When everywhere you look is full of bad news, it can condition someone into only accepting bad news and treating good news with intense scrutiny.

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

I will accept good news when I see good news. Hell the prices of groceries went up from Thanksgiving to now. I am buying many of the same items for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and I can see the prices went up. How did your health insurance premiums change this year? Mine went up.

[-] theneverfox@pawb.social 1 points 11 months ago

It's because of decades of sensationalized news. It's not pathological, it's learned, and for good reason.

For example, a few months back I saw an article talking about how actually, inflation is over and prices are actually dropping... They just didn't mention the fact that things like food and healthcare were still rising, and that actually most expenses for normal people were still going up

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 2 points 11 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@lemmy.world -1 points 10 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@lemmy.world 2 points 10 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@lemmy.world 0 points 10 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@lemmy.world 0 points 10 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.

[-] MacNCheezus@lemmy.today 20 points 11 months ago

The narcissist’s final weapon, when they realize that all their gaslighting hasn’t worked and they sense they are about to be unmasked, is to actually loosen your chain a little bit — just enough to make you feel like it really wasn’t that bad all along.

[-] Rediphile@lemmy.ca 3 points 11 months ago

But like, why? If it's items of necessity we are talking about... just keep raising the prices, it's not like we have a choice anyway right? Why would they cost themselves potential profits like that? Why would it matter if we figured it out?

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Because we would go gentle into that good night. As long as things are going slowly bad no one is going to riot.

[-] chitak166@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

We do have a choice. It might not be obvious on forums like reddit, but housewives will adjust their spending habits based on price fluctuations.

It can be something as simple as buying generic brands instead of name-brand, or as significant as cutting products out altogether.

Vote with your wallets. It works, every time.

[-] randomaside@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 10 months ago

This is actually how it's supposed to work. Everyone, stop buying things period! Only buy things used if you can. Prices have to come down to meet the demand. It's the only way you can claw your value back.

[-] Coreidan@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Did they get tired of stealing?

[-] chitak166@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I noticed Michelina's microwavables went from $1.33 to $1.20

Still up from their price a few years ago of $1.

Chips are still absurdly expensive though (even more expensive than meat!), but I think that's because people keep buying them no matter the cost.

this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2023
221 points (95.1% liked)

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