Retail sales rose in October for a third month in a row. October saw strong jobs growth, and Goldman Sachs is predicting a significant drop in the unemployment rate over the next year. Most families with children are getting expanded child tax credit checks every month. Average food stamp benefits increased by more than 25% thanks to the Biden administration. Yet the economic headlines are overwhelmingly focused on inflation. To be clear, inflation is real: 6.2% in October. But despite that, “It’s safe to say the bottom 40 percent of Americans are definitely better off in the past year from a combination of rising wages and government aid, even with inflation,” University of Massachusetts economist Arindrajit Dube told The Washington Post. Read more