Economy news and trends

Inflation Data Supports Optimism as Consumers Adapt
Economy // February 13, 2026

The latest inflation data released Friday (Feb 13) point to a continued easing of price pressures, particularly in categories that define household necessity rather than discretionary spending, offering consumers incremental but tangible relief. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and...

Households Navigate Higher Costs With Smarter Spending
Economy // February 12, 2026

The consumer in the United States is no longer one market. It’s two. And corporate earnings calls are increasingly where the split shows up first. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content...

Tariff Burden Shifts as Foreign Exporters Cut Prices, NY Fed Says
Economy // February 12, 2026

Foreign exporters paid a growing share of the cost of new tariffs in 2025, though U.S. importers continued to pay for most of that cost, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Thursday (Feb. 12). Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this...

Stable Jobless Rate Masks Rise in Side Gigs and Involuntary Part-Time Work
Economy // February 11, 2026

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January employment report, released Wednesday (Feb. 11), delivered the kind of headline that suggests calm. Payrolls rose by 130,000 and the unemployment rate held at 4.3%. On its face, that’s a labor market that’s still adding jobs, but no longer...

Interviews & Exclusives
CPG CEOs Say Consumers Keep Buying Despite Affordability Pressures

February 13, 2026
If one theme connected fourth-quarter earnings calls across consumer packaged goods companies and discretionary brands, such as toymakers, it was the emergence of a consumer economy defined by prioritization rather than a full-fledged pullback. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — […]

Households Navigate Higher Costs With Smarter Spending

February 12, 2026
The consumer in the United States is no longer one market. It’s two. And corporate earnings calls are increasingly where the split shows up first. Get the Full Story Complete...

Stable Jobless Rate Masks Rise in Side Gigs and Involuntary Part-Time Work

February 11, 2026
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ January employment report, released Wednesday (Feb. 11), delivered the kind of headline that suggests calm. Payrolls rose by 130,000 and the unemployment rate held at...

Consumers Pull Back to Protect Savings as Retail Sales Stall

February 10, 2026
Flat retail sales at year end ran counter to the growth momentum many analysts expected upon the release of the latest report on Tuesday (Feb. 10). Get the Full Story...

Quick Reads
Tariff Burden Shifts as Foreign Exporters Cut Prices, NY Fed Says

February 12, 2026
Foreign exporters paid a growing share of the cost of new tariffs in 2025, though U.S. importers continued to pay for most of that cost, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Thursday (Feb. 12). Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content […]

Main Street Senses an Economic Turn, NY Fed Says

February 09, 2026
Households’ perceptions of inflation and the labor market improved slightly in January, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Monday (Feb. 9). Get the Full Story Complete the form...

San Francisco Fed Chief Spots Risky Economic Disconnect

February 06, 2026
Businesses and workers have different views of the economy, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President and CEO Mary C. Daly said in a Friday (Feb. 6) post on LinkedIn....

Bank of America Warns Middle Class Wages Are Stalling

February 06, 2026
Wage growth for middle-income households showed some weakness in January, while that of lower- and higher-income households remained steady, the Bank of America Institute said Thursday (Feb. 5). Get the...