Marketplace Reading the labor market tea leaves
16 snips
Jul 2, 2025 
Brian Duncan, President of the Illinois Farm Bureau, shares insights on farmers' struggles with trade policies and market stability. He emphasizes the need for predictable economic conditions instead of government reliance. T.O. Hunter, co-founder of Crowns and Hops Brewing Company, highlights the importance of community in fostering racial equity within the craft beer industry, even amid economic challenges. Together, they discuss broader labor market dynamics, consumer spending trends, and the resilient spirit of marginalized businesses in a complex landscape.
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Tariffs Slow Economy and Wages
- Tariffs increase goods prices, reducing consumer demand and slowing the economy.
- This leads employers to lower hiring and wage growth, affecting service sector costs heavily.
Shrinking Labor Supply Spurs Wages
- Labor supply is shrinking due to aging and immigration limits, despite steady or improving labor demand.
- This mismatch supports wage growth but puts upward pressure on prices, especially in labor-heavy goods like produce.
U.S. Dollar Weakens Against Expectations
- Despite high U.S. interest rates and economy, the dollar is dropping due to trade policy and credit concerns.
- Investors fear bad trade policies, fiscal deficits, and threats to Fed independence, reducing dollar attractiveness.