US Economic Activity Increasing Slightly, Fed’s Beige Book Shows
- Consumer spending, notably on merchandise, ‘inched down’
- Businesses are having a harder time passing on higher costs
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The US economy has expanded at a modest pace since earlier in the year, while consumers showed more sensitivity to rising prices, the Federal Reserve said in its Beige Book survey of regional business contacts.
“Economic activity increased slightly, on balance, since early January, with eight districts reporting slight to modest growth in activity, three others reporting no change and one district noting a slight softening,” according to the report released Wednesday.