The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand fell 0.5% in April 2025 , the sharpest monthly drop since April 2020. This decline, driven entirely by a 0.7% fall in final demand services , follows no change in March and a 0.2% increase in February. Over the past 12 months, however, producer prices still rose 2.4% , signaling continued inflationary pressure beneath the surface. Sectoral Impacts on Black and Minority-Owned Firms 1. Service Sectors – Reported Declines May Not Translate to Relief The reported drop in services prices largely reflects compression in trade margins , not reductions in actual operating costs for small business owners. Impact: Minority-owned retail, healthcare, and professional service firms—many of which operate on thin margins—are unlikely to feel meaningful relief. 2. Goods Prices – Flat, Not Falling Final demand goods prices were unchanged , meaning material and inventory costs remain elevated. Impact: Black and minority-owned businesses...
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.2% monthly increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April 2025, bringing the annual inflation rate down to 2.3%—the lowest in over four years. Core inflation (excluding food and energy) remained steady at 2.8%. While these headline figures suggest that inflation is easing, many Black and minority-owned businesses continue to experience cost pressures across critical sectors such as food, transportation, and housing. Important Note: Ethics Adjusted CPI Given the documented pattern of dishonest and unethical behavior by the current administration, we express serious concern that the CPI data may have been deliberately manipulated downward for political or market-calming purposes. This suspicion is heightened by other economic discrepancies—such as the reported 225,000 job increase in March despite a simultaneous 40,000 rise in Black unemployment—which undermine the credibility of official statistics. Sector-Specific Impacts on Minori...