If it seems like the prices of everything are rising, that's not exactly true: Flowing Data mapped the prices of various goods over the last year based off data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and set it against inflation. They found that things like food and education were on the rise, while apparel and tech-related stuff decreased in cost. Meanwhile, transportation prices are through the roof (gasoline alone has shot up 27.5 percent). The decline in apparel price is not unprecedented: prices of clothing have actually been declining for the last decade or so, as manufacturing has moved overseas toward cheaper labor and production, although there's some indication that this trend may soon be coming to an end. Head over to Flowing Data for the full chart, which includes some fascinating numbers on communications costs, too.
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Eli Rosenberg



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