Christopher Rugaber

Stay informed with Christopher Rugaber’s coverage and analysis for Fortune.

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Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell testifies before Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing to examine the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, July 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Federal Reserve’s plans to dial back on support are complicated by inflation and a COVID surge

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

A member of the wait staff works between tables at Four Corners restaurant as people dine outdoors in Chapel Hill, N.C., Friday, April 16, 2021. Prices for U.S. consumers rose in July at the slowest pace since February, a sign that Americans could gain some relief after four months of sharp increases that had elevated inflation to its fastest pace in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

U.S. consumer prices rose at a slower pace in July

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

A hiring sign is shown in Downers Grove, Ill., Thursday, June 24, 2021. The number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits slid last week, another sign that the job market continues to recover rapidly from the coronavirus recession.<br />
Jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 400,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday, July 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Worker pay rises strongly as businesses compete to attract talent

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell testifies before Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing to examine the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, July 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Federal Reserve credits improving economy as rates are held near zero

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

A hiring sign hangs in the window of a Taco Bell in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, July 15, 2021. Hiring in California slowed down in June as the unemployment rate held steady at 7.7% according to new numbers released on Friday, July 16, 2021 by the Employment Development Department. California gained 73,000 jobs in June, ending the state’s streak of four consecutive months of adding 100,000 jobs or more. But experts say the state is still struggling from a workforce shortage as California has added back just over half of the 2.7 million jobs it lost at the start of the pandemic.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli))

Unemployment claims rise to 419,000 from a pandemic low

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell testifies on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 22, 2021, during a House Coronavirus Subcommittee hearing on the Federal Reserves response the the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Fed Chair: inflation will remain ‘elevated’ in coming months

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Hold For Business—Consumer Prices—A sign displays the price for shirts as a shopper peruses the offerings at a Costco warehouse in this photograph taken Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

U.S. consumer prices jump to the highest since 2008, sparking long term inflation concerns

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

This May 5, 2021 photo shows hiring signs posted outside a gas station in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pa. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week, reported Thursday, June 24, a sign that layoffs declined and the job market is improving. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The U.S. added 850,000 jobs in June—an encouraging sign for employers struggling to hire workers

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell appears before the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, during a hearing on, ‘The Quarterly CARES Act Report to Congress.’ (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Federal Reserve announces rate hike by 2023 as inflation rises

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

A man walks out of a Marc’s Store, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. America’s employers likely cut back on hiring last month, and may have even shed jobs, as the economy suffers from a resurgent virus that has caused many consumers to cut back on spending and states and cities to reimpose business restrictions.(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

The U.S. added just 266,000 jobs in April—sparking hiring concerns despite economic recovery

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Shanita Matthews pauses as she speaks in her home, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, in Suwanee, Ga. Matthews had to close her wedding business because of the coronavirus outbreak. John Bazemore—AP Images

‘We are struggling’: Unemployed Americans face a bleak Christmas

By The Associated Press, Christopher Rugaber, and others

Extra $600 unemployment benefit set to expire as U.S. jobless claims rise

The extra $600 unemployment benefit keeping millions of Americans afloat is about to expire—just as jobless claims are back on the rise

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

FILE – Hot air balloons are inflated during the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. The Santa Fe Opera, Meow Wolf and the non-profit organization that puts on the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta are among the New Mexico businesses that received loans from the federal government as part of massive effort to support the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Some of the oddest PPP loan recipients: From Kanye to Jeff Koons

By The Associated Press and Christopher Rugaber

Shoppers wear protective masks while visiting an Apple Inc. store at George Street in Sydney, Australia. The tech giant is one of 750 companies that qualify for a corporate debt-purchase plan detailed by the Federal Reserve Bank on Sunday.

The Fed reveals which companies make its corporate-bonds shopping list

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Fed Chair Jerome Powell doesn’t anticipate a hike in rates through 2020.

Fed says interest rates likely to stay near zero through 2022

By The Associated Press and Christopher Rugaber