Biden has been faulted for speeches that do not seem to meet the moment or lack the urgency to compel others to follow. His soothing approach to issues that prompt anger has often failed to soothe.
With inflation at a four-decade high, a growing number of forecasters worry the U.S. economy may be headed to a recession as the Fed gears up to raise interest rates aggressively.
U.S. employers added 678,000 jobs in February as the unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, from 4% in January. The Federal Reserve hopes to curb inflation without stalling job growth.
Consumer prices in January were up 7.5% from a year ago, the biggest annual gain since 1982. That may seem like a lot for those under 40, but older folks have lived through even sharper price hikes.
The Federal Reserve is preparing to raise interest rates sooner and — perhaps — more aggressively after inflation reached the highest in nearly 40 years.
The U.S. economy is lacking more than a million immigrant workers who would be here if not for the pandemic and Trump-era cuts. That may be hurting industries that depend on immigrants, like trucking.
The Federal Reserve is opening the door to possible interest rate hikes earlier next year than had been expected, as it wrestles with the highest inflation in nearly four decades.
Hiring slowed sharply last month, even as the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%. Data from the Labor Department suggest the economy was losing steam even before the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant.
President Biden has tapped Jerome Powell to serve a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve as the economy faces huge challenges, including surging inflation.