In Other News · United States · Business

Source: Axios

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Courtenay Brown/AxiosData this week has all told the same story: This is a rip-roaring U.S. economy with all the inflationary pressures that might imply.The big picture: It puts Warsh and the Fed in a difficult jam. Top officials have signaled patience in further interest rate hikes in recent weeks, but the latest data implies broader inflationary pressures than previously thought, testing that conviction.There is scant evidence that price pressures are receding on their own and growing reason to fear that they are becoming more entrenched, which could compel a more aggressive rate-hiking response.Driving the news: On Thursday the government said the Producer Price Index rose 1.3% in September, the highest since 2022 and far above the 0.6% analysts expected. It came on the heels of a too-hot-for-comfort reading on consumer prices Wednesday.Also Thursday, September retail sales notched a 0.8% rise, versus the 0.4% analysts had expected. And the August number was revised higher.There were only 199,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits last week, remaining near historic lows.Between the lines: The U.S. growth juggernaut shows no sign of diminishing — but neither do the price pressures that have bedeviled the economy for nearly five consecutive...