Peach Tree Times

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released data showing a rise in inflation for January, reflected across various expenditure categories such as food and shelter. This information substantiates the primary concerns of Georgia voters, as revealed by a recent poll conducted on behalf of the League of American Workers (LAW), which highlighted the economy and inflation as top issues.

According to the BLS, the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) saw an increase of 0.3% between December 2023 and January 2024. This signifies an upward trend since the CPI had previously increased by 0.2% from November 2023 to December 2024. From January 2023 to January 2024, the overall CPI rose by 3.1%, while shelter saw an annual increase of 6% and food prices rose by 2.6% for the year.

The BLS also reports that in the South region — which includes Georgia — the overall CPI has been rising at a faster pace, increasing by 0.6% from December 2023 to January 2024, after having decreased by 0.1% from November 2023 to December 2023. Between January 2023 and January 2024, the CPI rose by 3.4%, while shelter costs in the region increased by 6.7% and food prices rose by 2.5%.

According to LAW's recent poll, nearly half of Georgia voters consider the economy as one of their top two concerns when deciding how they will vote. Additionally, respondents disapprove of President Joe Biden's handling of the economy by a margin of 56 to 39 percent and believe that the American Dream is out of reach for most Georgians by a margin of 61 to 35 percent. Furthermore, Biden and his Democratic Party are blamed for overall price increases by approximately four out of ten respondents. The poll was conducted by North Star Opinion Research on behalf of LAW.

On Feb. 10, just three days before the BLS' new CPI report, Biden tweeted, "Inflation has been at the pre-pandemic level of 2% over the last half year."

U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), chair of the House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, spoke about inflation during a hearing on its impact on the economy under Biden's administration. McClain said, "When President Biden was sworn into office in January 2021, he inherited a 1.4 percent inflation rate. Inflation today is more than two and a half times the rate he inherited. And remember – inflation is cumulative. Over the last two years, total inflation has increased by over 17 percent."

According to its website, LAW was established in 2022. The organization conducts research and develops proposals on public policies impacting American workers and the economy.