2022.05.18 美国食品杂货的成本急剧上升

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The cost of groceries in America rockets
Food-price inflation is nearly three times higher than pre-pandemic forecasts
May 18th 2022

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On may 11th the us Bureau of Labour Statistics (bls) released its latest estimate of American retail prices. The Consumer Price Index, which tracks the cost of all goods and services weighted by their share of households’ expenditure, increased by 0.3% in April after rising by 1.2% in March. That was a welcome slowdown, but still means prices were 8.3% higher than a year ago. Petrol prices are up by 43.6% year-on-year and energy by 13.7%. Food, including restaurant meals, is 9.4% more expensive and groceries are 10.8% dearer.

The Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service breaks down increases in food prices by product, such as vegetables or beef. It collates figures from farmers, wholesalers and retailers, as well as factoring in the cost of fuel for transporting goods. Its latest modelling, for March, indicates that the price of meat has risen more quickly than that of any other food. Beef and veal prices, for example, have increased by 16% year-on-year. Americans hoping to cut their personal spending might consider eating more of their five-a-day. The price of fresh vegetables grew by a less painful 5.9%.


Why is food getting so much dearer? Transport is a big factor. The price of a gallon of fuel reached a 30-year high on March 16th, according to data tracked by the us Energy Information Administration. A tight labour market is also to blame. Workers at every stage of food production, including harvesting, transport and sale, are in short supply. bls data show there were just over 2m job openings in trade, transportation and utilities in March. This means existing workers can negotiate higher pay, the cost of which is passed on to consumers. Wages are up 8% year-on-year for transportation and warehousing staff.

The Department of Agriculture will update its numbers again, accounting for price changes in April, on May 25th. Given the overall rise in prices reported in the April bls report, the trend is not likely to improve. Americans might be able to avoid some goods that government statisticians say have grown more costly most quickly, such as used cars and petrol—but everyone has to eat.


每日图表
美国食品杂货的成本急剧上升
食品价格通胀比大流行前的预测高出近三倍
2022年5月18日



5月11日，美国劳工统计局（bls）发布了其对美国零售价格的最新估计。追踪所有商品和服务成本并按其在家庭支出中所占份额加权的消费者价格指数，在3月份上升1.2%之后，4月份上升了0.3%。这是一个值得欢迎的放缓，但仍然意味着价格比一年前高出8.3%。汽油价格同比增长了43.6%，能源增长了13.7%。食品，包括餐馆的饭菜，贵了9.4%，杂货贵了10.8%。

农业部经济研究处按产品（如蔬菜或牛肉）细分了食品价格的增长。它整理了来自农民、批发商和零售商的数字，并将运输货物的燃料成本考虑在内。其3月份的最新模型显示，肉类的价格比任何其他食品的价格上涨都要快。例如，牛肉和小牛肉的价格已经同比增长了16%。希望削减个人开支的美国人可能会考虑多吃一天五份的食物。新鲜蔬菜的价格增长了5.9%，不那么令人痛苦。


为什么食物变得如此昂贵？运输是一个很大的因素。根据美国能源信息署追踪的数据，每加仑燃油的价格在3月16日达到了30年来的最高点。劳动力市场紧张也是原因之一。食品生产的每个阶段的工人，包括收获、运输和销售，都供不应求。Bls的数据显示，3月份贸易、运输和公用事业的职位空缺刚刚超过200万。这意味着现有工人可以通过谈判获得更高的薪酬，其成本会转嫁到消费者身上。运输和仓储人员的工资同比增长了8%。

农业部将在5月25日再次更新其数字，考虑到4月份的价格变化。鉴于4月bls报告中的价格整体上涨，这一趋势不可能改善。美国人可能会避免一些政府统计人员所说的成本增长最快的商品，如二手车和汽油-但每个人都要吃饭。