US president betting on wage growth, while GOP warns of torrent of inflation
Updated 23 May 2021
May 23, 2021 01:47
WASHINGTON: US factory activity gathered speed in early May amid strong domestic demand, but backlogs of uncompleted work are piling up as manufacturers struggle to find raw materials and labor, boosting costs for both businesses and consumers.
Though other data on Friday showed sales of previously owned homes dropping to a 10-month low in April as an acute shortage of houses drove prices to a record high, they remained well above their pre-pandemic level. The housing market and manufacturing have led the economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 recession, which started in February 2020.