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How tight are US labour markets? Posted: Since the beginning of the pandemic, labour market indicators have been sending different signals about the degree of slack in the US labour market. This column uses time-series and cross-section data to show that firm-side unemployment – a measure that ties together the unemployment rate with the vacancy and quits rate – predicts wage inflation better than the unemployment rate or the employment ratio, and that firm-side unemployment currently experienced in the US corresponds to a degree of tightness previously associated with sub 2% unemployment. The findings suggest that labour markets in the US are extremely tight and will likely contribute to inflationary pressures for some time to come.

Geographical differences in standard of living across US cities Posted: Over the last three decades there has been increased polarisation in income among US communities, but how the standard of living varies across communities is not clear. This column uses transaction data for three million households to examine standards of living – in terms of consumption – in cities across the US by income and education, and how they relate to the local cost of living. For college-educated households, expensive cities offer incomes high enough to offset the higher cost of living and taxes. For less-educated households, expensive cities offer a standard of living that is systematically below that in affordable cities.

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