U.S. consumer expectations for inflation and housing costs rose in April as Americans have become increasingly skeptical that public policymakers will vanquish inflationary pressures from the economy and return to the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target.
Median three-year-ahead inflation expectations tumbled from 2.9 percent to 2.8 percent, while the median five-year horizon jumped from 2.6 percent to 2.9 percent.
Year-ahead commodity price projections were up across the board, led by college education (2.5 percent), medical care (0.6 percent), and rent (0.4 percent). Expectations that gas and food prices will rise over the next 12 months also jumped 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
The regional central bank’s figures showed that households have become slightly more skeptical about their finances, the labor market, and housing prices.
Median one-year-ahead expected earnings growth dipped by 0.1 percentage point to 2.7 percent, and expectations that the unemployment rate will be higher one year from now rose by 1 percentage point to 37.2 percent.
In addition, median household income growth expectations slid by 0.1 percentage points to 3 percent, while median household spending growth expectations rose by 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 percent.
Last month, median home price growth expectations advanced to 3.3 percent after remaining flat at 3 percent for seven straight months. This was the highest reading since July 2022.
New York Fed researchers noted that “the increase was most pronounced for respondents with a high school degree or less.”
Monetary authorities and economists have anticipated lower shelter costs for more than a year. However, housing inflation persists, as the shelter index in the March consumer price index (CPI) report rose 0.4 percent monthly and was up 5.7 percent year-over-year.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters at this month’s post-meeting press conference that he is “confident” that lower rents are “going to show up in measured inflation” but stopped short of the exact timing, citing lags in the data.
Household finances have ostensibly weakened, too, as the rate of consumers expected to miss a minimum debt payment over the next three months is at a four-year high.
In the end, the New York Fed statistics are “more evidence no one believes [the] Fed will get control of inflation,” says E.J. Antoni, a Heritage Foundation economist.
Count on Sticky Inflation, High Rates: Strategist
Various gauges report an economy enduring sticky and stubborn inflation.These trends have spooked monetary policymakers, who are questioning whether interest rates are high enough to restore price stability.
While Mr. Powell reassured the financial markets that the next policy move will unlikely be a rate hike, several Fed officials have asserted that a rate increase is not off the table.
In a talk at the Milken Institute 2024 Global Conference on May 7, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari conceded that he could not rule out a rate hike and would support a boost if inflation persisted.
“The bar to raising is quite high, but it is not infinite,” Mr. Kashkari noted, though he thinks the most likely situation will be higher-for-longer rates.
RBC economist Claire Fan believes the first cut to the benchmark federal funds rate will be in December “contingent on both growth and inflation gradually and persistently slowing.”
Interest rates are in the range between 5.25 percent and 5.5 percent, the highest level in 23 years.