Fresh inflation misery expected as cost of living pressures intensify

With the debate around the cost of living intensifying, all eyes will be on the Office for National Statistics when it releases inflation numbers for January this Wednesday.

The consumer price index hit an annual rate of 5.4 per cent in December, marking its fastest rate of increase since spring 1992, with the measure forecast to peak above 7 per cent over the coming months as higher energy costs feed through.

Key measures on unemployment, wage growth and consumer confidence are also due out this week.

AJ Bell financial analyst Danni Hewson noted: “Inflation is the topic that just refuses to go away, much as the Bank of England and the government would like it to do so, and [this] week features the big double-header of jobs and wage data on Tuesday 15 and inflation on Wednesday 16.

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