Understanding Consumer Inflation Expectations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

We study how individuals' formation of inflation expectations are affected by the stringent containment and economic support measures put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the New York Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) and the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), we find that policies aimed at containing the pandemic lead to an increase in individuals' inflation expectations and inflation uncertainty. We also find some heterogeneity in the impact across different demographic groups.