1) How much was the US unemployment rate in December 2021? What conclusion do you draw from this unemployment rate? Based on this number, does the US labor market look healthy to you?

2) Inflation in the United States is hovering around 7% these days. However, many of the costs faced by American households are rising faster than the official inflation statistics indicate. Yesterday a friend of mine complained about this situation. She said "Last week, I ran out of ink for my printer and ordered some more online. I noticed that the price of the ink cartridges had gone up 25% in less than a year. If there's no inflation, why are prices up so much?"

What do you think about this? Why do you think some American households may feel different about the cost of living than official statistics?