UK inflation hits zero for the first time on record
We haven’t seen economic times like these for over 50 years. There are mixed messages for rural places. Falling fuel prices are obviously a good thing, falling food prices (particularly in view of the scale of the wider food chain rather than just agriculture) are a less good thing. The whole economic situation still feels too weird and fragile to me. I don’t think things have retuned to anything like normal for rural England since 2008. This story says:
Real terms pay fell for six straight years between 2008 and 2014, as inflation consistently outpaced wage growth. However, that trend has been in reverse since late 2014 giving households a boost. The latest figures showed wage growth running at 1.8% including bonuses in the three months to January.
The consumer prices index – Britain’s official inflation measure – has not fallen to zero since comparable records began in 1989. However, unofficial estimates suggest it might have been lower in 1960.