We’ve been warning for some time that CPI inflation would rise further than most people expect, triggering a recession. The prospect of even bigger rises in utility prices on 1st October and in the first half of 2023 than we have pencilled in suggests that the risks to our forecast for CPI inflation to rise from June’s 40-year high of 9.4% to 12.5% in October are now skewed to the upside. That increases the risk of bigger, longer-lasting second-round inflation effects. Admittedly, there have been some encouraging signs that price pressures towards the start of the inflation pipeline have passed their peak. But it is worrying that domestic inflationary pressures, such as those in the services sector, are still rising, as they tend to last longer. As a result, we still think that the Bank of England will raise interest rates from 1.75% to 3.00% even when the economy is in recession.
Become a client to read more
This is premium content that requires an active Capital Economics subscription to view.
Already have an account?
You may already have access to this premium content as part of a paid subscription.
Sign in to read the content in full or get details of how you can access it
Register for free
Sign up for a free account to:
- Unlock additional content
- Register for Capital Economics events
- Receive email updates and economist-curated newsletters
- Request a free trial of our services