Inflation rate projected to hit 6% in the second quarter, top economic forecasters say

Cuts of beef are displayed at Handy Market on May 14, 2026 in Burbank, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The recent surge in inflation is likely to get worse over the next several months, according to a survey Friday from the nation's top economists. Consumer price inflation is projected to hit 6% for the first quarter, according to the Survey of Professional Forecasters, a blue-ribbon group that is polled each quarter by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. …