prices to rise next year. they see a 2022 average of $3.41 a gallon, up from around $3 this year. they think gas prices are going to peak in may at $3.79 a gallon, essentially right as everyone is heading out for the summer, memorial day weekend, we could be seeing gas prices flirting with $4 a gallon before they fall sharply later in the year. now, this would unwind some of the recent progress we ve seen on the gas front. the national average is currently $3.28 a gallon. that s not cheap. it s up by about a dollar from a year ago. but it is down 14 cents from the peak we saw in early november. we should note, there is a lot of uncertainty here. others are calling for gas prices to drop. citi group has predicted and warned their clients there s going to be what they called a, quote, radical drop in energy prices. the energy department s research arm is calling for an average of $2.88 a gallon next year.
prediction that 2022 will mark the end of the pandemic. cnn business reporter joining us now on that. hey, matt. reporter: good morning, guys. there have been some promising developments, including on inflation. especially with the biggest problem child of them all, energy. first, prices at the pump are ticking lower. the national average down to $3.34 a gallon. it s not cheap but a seven-week low. even more encouraging, a bigger drop ahead. the energy department s research arm is pulling for gasoline to average $3.01 in january, $2.88 for the full year next year. that is a big decline. some are wall street are calling for a bigger drop. citigroup calling for a radical drop that lowers oil below $60 a barrel. that s from 72 today. we have seen natural gas prices get cut nearly in half. that bodes very well for home
narcotic is. i mean, the unemployment rate is down, wages are up, and people feel so good about their prospects to get a better job that they re quitting at near record paces. one other point, though, is that this is contributing to inflation because companies are facing much higher labor costs, and they are passing along some of those expenses to consumers. what s happening with gas prices? gas prices are ticking lower. the national average is down to $3.34 a gallon. that s not cheap but it is a seven-week low. i think the better news is that there s some forecasts out there calling for a more considerable drop in gas prices. the energy department s forecasting arm, they re saying $3.01 in january will be the average, and next year, $2.88. that is a considerable drop from what we saw recently. citi group put out this report saying there s going to be a radical drop in energy prices. i think the bad news is sort of the why. one factor there is supply. they think that the u.s. and o
welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. it is wednesday, december 8th. i m brianna keilar along with john berman. we are beginning with breaking news. a potent antidote for inflation. gas prices are going down, dropping to $3.34 a gallon nationwide. many of them predicting below $3 a gallon in 2022. but, wait, there s more. remember all the talk of skyrocketing heating costs for the winter, they are also dropping dramatically. right to chief business correspondent christine romans with all of this. the numbers dropping significantly, romans. . absolutely. it s welcomed relief for american consumers. the government says prices at the pump into keep falling. the energy department predicted tuesday the national average will fall to $3.01 in january, averaging $2.88 for 2022.
80% of new yorkers have at least one job in a low covid positivity rate. it has been climbing. at 2.88% but that is vastly lower than states with the highest best foul positivity rate. iowa and kansas. new jersey just over 37%. idaho near that. and south dakota at just over 30%. new york officials say vaccine mandate can t crush covid. vaccine mandates work especially provide incentives and improve assets. de blasio is expected to run for governor in new york state next year and some seem this order as a way for him to try to curb favor with progressives. he does promise employers that he will offer guidelines sometime next week. shannon: we will be standing by for that. thank you. the white house is reevaluating