U.S. Companies Raising the Price on Goods

More U.S. companies are able to raise prices on the goods and services they produce, and many businesses expect that to continue through the rest of this year as consumer demand stays high, according to a survey of business economists. The National Assn. of Business Economists said 28% of the economists polled in June said their businesses increased prices during the second quarter, while 17% reported falling prices. In an April survey, 16.7% said they raised prices. Fifty-two percent of the business economists expect their companies to raise prices over the rest of the year, while 13% expect price decreases and 35% expect no changes, the NABE said in its quarterly survey of U.S. business conditions. The poll also showed that more companies are having trouble filling jobs, with 61.8% reporting difficulty in finding skilled workers. In April, that figure was 59.2%. Wages and salaries rose at 42% of the companies and were unchanged at 55%, the poll showed.