Inflation

The proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons grocery chains has been temporarily halted by an injunction, further delaying the proposed sale of suburban Jewel-Osco stores.

The need for assistance has continued to rise in Will County since the COVID-19 pandemic. And that need is highest among families working one or more jobs.

Inflation in the United States ticked up in October, driven by costlier rents, used cars, and air fares, a sign that price increases might be leveling off after having slowed in September to their lowest pace since 2021

Fed up with high prices and unimpressed with an economy that by just about any measure is a healthy one, Americans demanded change when they voted for president

The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point in response to the steady decline in the once-high inflation that had angered Americans and helped drive Donald Trump’s presidential election victory this week

The U.S. economy grew at a healthy 2.8% annual rate from July through September, with consumers helping drive growth despite the weight of still-high interest rates

Most mainstream economists say Trump’s policy proposals wouldn't vanquish inflation. They’d make it worse.

Inflation in the United States dropped last month to its lowest point since it first began surging more than three years ago, adding to a spate of encouraging economic news in the closing weeks of the presidential race

America’s employers added a surprisingly strong 254,000 jobs in September, the latest evidence that the U.S. labor market is still solid enough to support steady hiring and a growing economy

Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas have started walking picket lines in a strike over wages and automation that could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes on more than a few weeks

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by an unusually large half-point, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high rates helped tame inflation but that also made borrowing painfully expensive for consumers

The Will County Center for Community Concerns has announced eligibility requirements and application rules for funding through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Year-over-year inflation reached its lowest level in more than three years in July, the latest sign that the worst price spike in four decades is fading and setting up the Federal Reserve for an interest rate cut in September

The great inflation spike of the past three years is nearly spent — and economists credit American consumers for helping slay it.

The nation’s economy accelerated last quarter at a strong 2.8% annual pace, with consumers and businesses helping drive growth despite the pressure of continually high interest rates

Inflation in the United States cooled in June for a third straight month, a sign that the worst price spike in four decades is steadily fading and may soon usher in interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve

The Citizens Utility Board and four state legislators held a press conference in Bolingbrook on Wednesday to discuss their efforts to oppose continually rising costs for customers of Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois.

An Independence Day cookout will cost $71.22 for 10 guests this year – a 5% jump from last year at $7.12 per person, American Farm Bureau Federation reported in its annual marketbasket survey.

Inflation in the United States is slowing again after higher readings earlier this year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said, while adding that more such evidence would be needed before the Fed would cut interest rates

A measure of prices that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve suggests that inflation pressures in the U.S. economy are continuing to ease

Federal Reserve officials said inflation has fallen further toward their target level in recent months but signaled that they expect to cut their benchmark interest rate just once this year

Inflation in the United States eased last month in a hopeful sign that a pickup in prices that occurred early this year may have passed.

After Federal Reserve officials meet this week, a statement they will issue may suggest that they’ve seen meaningful progress on inflation this year — a prelude to eventual interest rate cuts

Wednesday's report of moderating price increases may provide a dose of reassurance that inflation could be resuming its slowdown toward the Fed's target.

Millions of jobs that new immigrants have been filling in the United States appear to solve a riddle that has confounded economists for at least a year

Consumer inflation remained persistently high last month, boosted by gas, rents, auto insurance and other items

But now, with the U.S. economy showing surprising vigor, a different question has arisen: Will the central bank really cut rates three times this year, as the Fed itself has predicted — or even cut at all?

America’s employers delivered another outpouring of jobs in March, adding a sizzling 303,000 workers to their payrolls and bolstering hopes that the economy can vanquish inflation without succumbing to a recession in the face of high interest rates

Inflation has changed the way many Americans shop. Now, those changes in consumer habits are helping bring down inflation.

The economy looks set to grow 2.2% this year after adjusting for inflation, according to the National Association for Business Economics. It’s the latest signal of strength for an economy that’s blasted through predictions of a recession.

The Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry will be setting up a pop-up food give away for families in the Crest Hill City Hall parking lot on March 2.

Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that the consumer price index rose 0.3% from December to January, up from a 0.2% increase the previous month. Compared with a year ago, prices are up 3.1%.

Friday’s report from the Labor Department showed that last month’s job gain topped the 333,000 that were added in December, a figure that was itself revised sharply higher. The unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%, just above a half-century low.

Stocks are near record highs. Growth was surprisingly strong last year. And once-hot inflation has begun to cool. But so far, U.S. adults are feeling only slightly better about the economy.

The Federal Reserve indicated it’s nearing a long-awaited shift toward cutting interest rates, a sign that its officials have grown confident that they’re close to fully taming inflation

The latest data suggests that the economy is achieving a difficult “soft landing,” in which inflation falls back to the Fed’s target without a recession. That outcome could make it easier for the Fed to consider cutting its key interest rate.

There are solid reasons for optimism that inflationary pressure will continue to recede in the coming months.

The S&P 500 closed out 2023 with a gain of more than 24% and the Dow finished near a record high, as easing inflation, a resilient economy and the prospect of lower interest rates buoyed investors, particularly in the last two months of the year

Wages are also growing at a slower but still-healthy pace. In November, average hourly pay rose 4 percent from 12 months earlier.

Tuesday's report from the Labor Department showed that prices either fell or rose only slowly across a broad range of goods and services, including gas, new and used cars, hotel rooms and housing

Since 2015, home insurance premiums in Illinois have gone up by 30%, said George Hosfield, senior director of home insurance for LexisNexis Risk Solutions. That’s higher than the national average since 2015, which is roughly 21%.

The U.S. economy accelerated unexpectedly to a 2.4% annual growth rate from April through June, showing continued resilience in the face of steadily higher interest rates resulting from the Federal Reserve’s 16-month-long fight against inflation

City likely to raise water and sewer rates in October

Consumer prices in the United States accelerated in April after months of declines, with measures of underlying inflation suggesting that rising costs could persist for months to come

The government’s report Thursday that the economy grew at a 1.1% annual rate last quarter signaled that one of the most-anticipated recessions in recent U.S. history has yet to arrive

Expecting a tax refund? It could be smaller than last year. And with inflation still high, that money won’t go as far as it did a year ago.

The Federal Reserve extended its year-long fight against high inflation by raising its key interest rate a quarter-point despite concerns that higher borrowing rates could worsen the turmoil that has gripped the banking system

Wall Street quietly drifted between small gains and losses early Wednesday ahead of a closely-watched decision by the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates in the midst of a global banking crisis.

U.S. consumer price increases eased slightly from January to February but still pointed to an elevated inflation rate that is posing a challenge for the Federal Reserve at a delicate moment for the financial system.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the U.S. fell for third straight week