Gas Price Surge Deepens the Economy’s K-Shaped Divide
A New York Fed study finds that after the Iran war, gas prices jumped about 25% by the end of March (and ~50% since the war began). Lower-income households cut gas use but still spent 12% more on gas in March, while higher-income households increased gas spending by 19% with almost no reduction in consumption, signaling a widening K-shaped divide that could pull down broader inflation-adjusted spending.