Economic Analysis and Policy Insights by Heather Long
U.S. inflation hits 4.2 percent in May, Heather Long notes
Heather Long reports that U.S. inflation surged to 4.2 percent year-over-year in May, marking the highest level in three years and rising from 2.4 percent in February before the war in Iran. ...
Heather Long: U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, unemployment rate steady at 4.3%
Heather Long reports that the U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, far surpassing the expected 88,000 gain. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%. Hospitality led job creation with ...
Middle-income households ration spending amid strain, Heather Long notes
Heather Long highlights insights from the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, describing how middle-income households in the U.S. are 'squeezing more life out of every dollar before deciding to spend ...
Heather Long: U.S. job openings surpass unemployed workers for first time since June 2025
Heather Long reports that there are now more job openings than unemployed workers in the U.S. for the first time since June 2025. According to her, April saw 7,618,000 job openings compared to ...
PCE inflation in U.S. reaches 3.8 percent in April, Heather Long notes
Heather Long reports that U.S. PCE inflation climbed to 3.8 percent in April, marking the highest rate in three years, since May 2023. Core PCE inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased ...
Heather Long: Average tax refund is around $340 with many lower income Americans receiving less
Heather Long reports that the average larger tax refund was approximately $340. She adds that many lower income Americans received less than this amount, and some also saw reductions in health ...
Wage growth lags behind 3.8% inflation, Heather Long notes
Heather Long reports that inflation in the U.S. is now erasing all recent wage gains for the first time in about three years. According to Long, consumer price index inflation over the past year ...
Heather Long: U.S. economy adds 115,000 jobs in April
Heather Long, industry influencer, reports that the U.S. economy showed strong job gains in April with 115,000 positions added. March figures were also revised upward to 185,000 jobs, while the ...
March sees strong U.S. job gains in key sectors, Heather Long notes
Heather Long, industry influencer, reports a significant recovery in the official U.S. hiring rate for March. The hiring rate reached 3.5%, marking the highest level in almost two years. Strong ...
Heather Long: Federal Reserve leaves rates unchanged with rare 8-4 decision split
Heather Long, industry influencer, reports that the Federal Reserve has maintained its target interest rate range at 3.5 to 3.75%, where it has remained since December. Long highlights that the ...
S&P 500 closes in on record after full recovery, Heather Long notes
The S&P 500 index has rebounded fully from its losses related to the war in Iran, coming within a hair of its record closing high of 6,978.60 set on January 27. Heather Long highlighted that, ...
Heather Long: Strait of Hormuz closure drives oil prices higher as U.S. plans blockade
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed, leading to another surge in oil prices. Heather Long reports that the U.S. is about to impose a blockade in the region. Long highlights that this ...
Core inflation at 2.6 percent driven by rising gas prices, Heather Long notes
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, reached 2.6 percent and is now at its highest level since December 2025. Heather Long highlights that soaring gas prices played a major role ...
Heather Long: U.S. economy adds 178,000 jobs in March as unemployment rate falls
The U.S. economy added a robust 178,000 jobs in March, representing a significant recovery from February, according to Heather Long. Healthcare was a major driver, accounting for approximately 43% ...
U.S. hiring rate drops to 3.1 percent in February, Heather Long reveals
The U.S. hiring rate declined to 3.1% in February, reaching its lowest point since April 2020. Heather Long commented that this downturn signals a hiring recession, with Americans already ...
Heather Long: Cost of car ownership in U.S. rises 41% since 2020
The cost of purchasing and owning a car in the U.S. has surged since the pandemic, according to Heather Long. She highlights new data showing Navy Federal's Cost of Car Ownership Index is up 41% ...
Inflation holds at 2.4 percent in February with lower gas prices, Heather Long notes
Inflation remained steady at 2.4 percent year over year in February, according to Heather Long. Long noted that this reading matched January and came before the outbreak of war in Iran, with gas ...
Heather Long: U.S. economy loses 92,000 jobs in February
The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.4%. Heather Long notes that even the healthcare sector, typically resilient, shed 28,000 jobs during the ...
