EKU professor says supply chain issues still a problem, despite drop in inflation rate

The U.S. inflation rate is less than half of what it was two years ago, but the cost of many items remains high. In 2014, James Kirby Easterling led the establishment of the Global Supply Chain Management program at Eastern Kentucky University, where he’s a professor and researcher. He said recent events like the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March continue to impact the supply chain – and prices.

“That particular container port, the Port of Baltimore, receives the majority of raw materials that are used in the making of fertilizer, drywall and plaster.”

Easterling said the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East also negatively impact the supply chain. He said research suggests interest hikes by the Federal Reserve don’t seem to have slowed consumer spending as much as the Fed might want.

“When I go out, you know, whether it's to Lowe's or Menards or Walmart or Myers or any of these places, they're full of customers. I've never seen more Amazon trucks on the road than I have, you know, in just the last few months.”

Easterling said it’s interesting that the stock market high and record profits for many companies are occurring when there’s so much uncertainty around the world. You can hear more from Easterling in this week’s Eastern Standard on WEKU.

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