Skip to content
Navigating a New Political Landscape: View real-time updates about the impact of and Northeastern’s response to recent political changes.
Apply
Stories

What is causing inflation?

People in this story

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Pedestrians walk past the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in New York.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting supply chain shortages have contributed to the highest U.S. inflation rate since the 1980s, resulting in a reporter’s question about the impact of rising prices that elicited a curse this week from President Joe Biden. The consumer price index has increased 7% over the past 12 months, driven in part by stimulus checks that fed the economy during the low points of the pandemic, notes Robert Triest, chair and professor of economics at Northeastern. 

The United States and other governments “pumped a lot of money into their economies in order to prevent economic collapse as the pandemic started,” says Triest. “Those government policies, both on the fiscal side as well as the monetary side, were extraordinarily effective.” The pandemic also caused supply chain issues that have contributed to a higher demand for goods, he adds.

Continue reading at News@Northeastern.

More Stories

The proposed SAVE Act would change voter registration. Experts say it would make it more difficult for many to register to vote. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Will the SAVE Act protect the integrity of voting or make registration too difficult? Northeastern experts explain

04.24.2025
Lori Gardinier, director of Northeastern’s Human Services Program, is the recipient of a Global Educator Award. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Lori Gardinier awarded Global Educator Award for promoting engagement around the world

04.22.2025
Northeastern grad Melissa Withers, co-founder and managing partner of RevUp Capital, enjoys the challenges of helping early stage companies scale. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Whether in the boxing ring or the business world, early stage investor Melissa Withers is up for the challenge

04.29.25
All Stories