Group 1: CPI Trends and Influences - Since February 2025, CPI has experienced four consecutive months of negative growth, primarily driven by food and energy prices, while core CPI has shown a significant recovery since September 2024[1] - The average CPI year-on-year growth from February to May 2025 was -0.25%, with food contributing -0.24 percentage points and energy contributing -0.29 percentage points, while core CPI contributed +0.28 percentage points[1] - The CPI growth target was adjusted from 3% to 2% in March 2025, indicating a shift in policy focus from preventing high prices to preventing low prices[1] Group 2: Core CPI Components - Core CPI can be divided into three main components: core goods, housing services, and other services, with housing services being a significant drag on core CPI growth[1] - Housing services prices have averaged 0.07% since 2022, down from 1.74% from 2013 to 2022, contributing approximately 0.4 percentage points to the decline in core CPI growth[1] - Other services prices are closely linked to overall wage trends, with a potential for price increases driven by rising demand and improved corporate profits[1] Group 3: Policy Recommendations - To boost core CPI, service consumption subsidies are recommended, which could increase core CPI by approximately 0.3 percentage points, offsetting the negative impact from declining housing service prices[1] - The expected core CPI growth for the second half of 2025 is projected to reach around 1.0% before slightly declining, remaining within the 0.6%-1.0% range[1] - The core goods price is expected to rise initially before a slight decline, while housing service prices are anticipated to remain stable around zero[1]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the May non-farm payroll data, highlighting that while job additions slightly exceeded expectations, the overall employment market shows signs of slowing down, with a notable focus on wage growth as a positive aspect [1]. Group 1: Employment Data Overview - In May, non-farm employment increased by 139,000, surpassing the expected 130,000, with job growth concentrated in three sectors: education and health services (+87,000), leisure and hospitality (+48,000), and financial activities (+13,000) [2][16]. - The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2%, but this stability was achieved at the cost of a declining labor force participation rate, which fell from 62.6% to 62.4% [5][22]. - The employment growth breadth has decreased, with the employment diffusion index dropping to 50%, indicating that job growth is becoming less widespread across various sectors [4][16]. Group 2: Wage Growth Insights - Wage growth in May was a highlight, with hourly earnings increasing by 0.4% month-over-month, exceeding the expected 0.3%, and a year-over-year increase of 3.9%, also above the anticipated 3.7% [6][31]. - The article emphasizes that the wage growth is crucial for protecting the purchasing power of consumers, particularly for low- and middle-income groups, amidst rising inflation concerns [6][12]. Group 3: Market Reactions - Following the non-farm report, market expectations for interest rate cuts have cooled, with the probability of a September rate cut dropping from 61.3% to 51.8% [3][35]. - The stock market reacted positively, with major indices such as the Dow Jones and Nasdaq rising, indicating a rebound in risk appetite among investors [3][35].