According to the latest Read the full story on LinkedIn. This trend bodes poorly for reining in inflationary pressures anytime soon. This feeling comes even as many have noted that the labor market appears to be the last stronghold against worries of a shaky economy. Our findings highlight the often conflicting and complex reality of today’s economic environment, where achieving price stability is out of reach.
The survey, taken among consulting, investment, law and accounting firms, suggests that a lot of them think price increases will exceed the previous norm of 2%. This projection highlights a serious concern about inflation. This is a sign that the inflationary pressures we are feeling today aren’t merely the byproducts of temporary tariff or supply chain disruptions. Rather, firms expect such inflationary dynamics to last for the long term.
Recent currency movements have quickly become a headline issue too. The U.S. dollar (USD) fell 0.09% against other global counter currencies. The euro (EUR) appreciated by 0.18% against the USD, and the British pound (GBP) has gained 0.31%. The Japanese yen (JPY) fell by 0.11%. At the same time, the loonie (CAD) and Aussie dollars (AUD) depreciated by 0.23% and 0.16%, respectively. Retreating across the board, the New Zealand dollar (NZD) suffered the largest fall at 0.41% against the USD.
These exchange rate movements are in fact reflecting deeper dynamics in global financial markets. The heat map analysis of the eight currencies—USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD, AUD, NZD, and Swiss franc (CHF)—shows varied performances. For example, CHF saw the most positive CHF/EUR change at -0.09%. The biggest change that was measured was 0.73% rise, between CHF and JPY. On the flip side, the biggest drop was -0.73% for JPY vs CHF.
Despite these ups and downs on the currency front, recent month indicators point to an ever-resilient labor market. Unemployment rates remain low, and job creation has not waned significantly, implying that economic fundamentals may still support growth despite rising prices.
It is a well-known fact among economists that price hikes from new tariffs cause short-lived jumps in inflation. As things stand now, it appears those pressures could persist due to other forces at work. These factors include supply chain disruptions and global demand shifts still impacting pricing strategies in every sector.