Number 2023, cash dollar banknotes and stock market indicators (money, economy, business, finance, inflation, crisis)
The U.S. economy grew at a lackluster 1.3% annual rate from January through March as businesses wary of an economic slowdown trimmed their inventories, the government said Thursday, a slight upgrade from its initial estimate.
The government had previously estimated that the economy grew at a 1.1% annual rate last quarter.
The Commerce Department's revised measure of growth in the nation's gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — marked a deceleration from the second half of 2022.
Despite the first-quarter slowdown, consumer spending, which accounts for around 70% of America's economic output, rose at a healthy pace.
With mortgage rates having doubled over the past year, the real estate market has already taken a beating: Investment in housing fell from January through March. In April, sales of existing homes were 23% below their level a year earlier.
The Giving Block's Co-founders, Pat Duffy and Alex Wilson, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss how their crypto-centric platform is helping big and small nonprofit firms across the world at a time when the demand for digital assets has never been higher.
Virtual reality startup Sandbox VR recently announced it raised $37 million Series B funding round. It is a location-based VR company, a space that was hit hard during the pandemic. Sandbox was eventually forced to file for bankruptcy; however, the company is emerging from the pandemic with a fresh round of funding and plans to open new retail locations around the world. Sandbox VR CEO Steve Zhao joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
President Joe Biden signed into law today his landmark $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, and it includes approximately $550 billion in new funding for increased broadband access, improving the power grid, and more. But what does this mean for the American economy, and American workers? Eliza Collins, Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what's included in the bill, which former mayor has been tapped to oversee how the bill is implemented, and how these new infrastructure investments will impact the economy.
It's been a job hunters market of late, as a mass resignation amid the pandemic has added to millions of openings across businesses. ZipRecruiter co-founder and CEO Ian Siegel explained what people currently are looking for in the labor market. "Survey after survey after survey, whether it's on ZipRecruiter or it's a third-party source, is telling us the same piece of information: over half of job seekers right now are looking for work that is either fully remote or hybrid," he said. "They got a real taste of it during COVID, and they liked it a lot. It's the number one perk that's being requested and you can already see employers starting to shift in that direction."
Celebrity butcher and the third-generation owner of Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, Pat LaFrieda, joined Cheddar to dive into the rapid price surges for beef, poultry, fish, and eggs dubbed a "meatflation" by Bloomberg. LaFrieda noted that the increases were being accelerated by high fuel prices and a shortage of labor like truck drivers. However, he did express some hope that the post-holidays/pre-barbecue season lull in the meat sales market will help reset the market.
Booking.com has unveiled a first-of-its-kind sustainable travel designation for properties that might be on the itinerary of a climate-conscious traveler. CEO Glenn Fogel explained to Cheddar the key metrics a location has to achieve to earn a sustainability badge. Waste handling, energy and greenhouse gases, water usage, local community support, and protection of nature were the five top areas of concern he addressed, with an additional subset of 32 measures that properties can implement.
