Peach Tree Times

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data on March 12, indicating an increase in inflation in February 2024. Recent polling suggests that the economy and inflationary pressures were among the top concerns for Georgia voters, who significantly disapproved of President Biden's economic management.

According to the BLS' latest Consumer Price Index report, the overall CPI increased by 3.2% from February 2023 to February 2024. The BLS highlights that this represents a larger annual CPI increase than the 3.1% rise observed from January 2023 to January 2024. The overall CPI also climbed by 0.4% in February 2024 compared to January 2024, surpassing the 0.3% growth from December 2023 to January 2024.

The BLS also notes that increases in the shelter and gasoline indices "contributed over sixty percent of the monthly increase in the index for all items."

In the South region's South Atlantic division, which includes Georgia, the BLS reports that the overall CPI increase exceeded the national average. From February 2023 to February 2024, this division's overall CPI rose by 3.9%, while from January to February 2024, it increased by an additional 1%. In this region, shelter and gasoline indices grew by respective rates of 0.7% and 5.5% during this one-month period ending in February.

A poll conducted by the League of American Workers (LAW) in January of likely Georgia voters revealed that nearly half identified economic issues such as jobs and inflation as their top two priorities when deciding their vote in the upcoming general election. When asked who was responsible for rising prices overall, a plurality —39%— attributed it to Joe Biden and Democrats. Furthermore, with a margin of 56% to 39%, Georgia voters expressed their disapproval of President Biden's economic leadership. They also believed, by a margin of 61% to 35%, that the "American Dream" is beyond the reach of most Georgians.

The research was carried out by North Star Opinion Research and commissioned by LAW, an organization dedicated to examining economic public policies affecting American workers, as stated on the LAW website.