The permanent return of higher inflation?
For several reasons, serious consideration must be given to the return of permanently higher inflation in the United States and Europe: Wage earners’ bargaining power will rise, due to population ageing and changing attitudes towards work, which are giving rise to hiring difficulties; Commodity producers want to exercise monopoly power, which is facilitated by Russia’s withdrawal from the global economy; The energy transition, which will drive up sharply the prices of energy and goods currently produced with fossil fuels; Reshoring and the fragmentation of the global economy, which will drive up prices in OECD countries. The return of higher inflation obviously raises questions for monetary and therefore fiscal policy choices .