A latest egg heist could possibly be powerful to crack.
This week, in Pennsylvania, thieves stole 100,000 eggs from a Pete & Gerry’s Organics distributor’s truck. Price $40,000 (and extra every day), they could simply be bought.
At a relative excessive a month in the past, egg costs have continued rising to stratospheric ranges. Throughout January 2025, we paid a median of $7.09 for one dozen:
Eggs and Tariffs
Eggs
Near $9.00 a dozen in California, paying for eggs takes a hefty slice of what we earn –particularly for a decrease revenue family:
The bottom revenue households spent a median of $5,278 on meals. As 32.6% of their after tax revenue, the overall was an enormous slice of their revenue pie. In the meantime, a center revenue family’s complete was $8,989 (13.5% of after tax revenue). And, a lot much less of their after tax revenue at 8.1 p.c, the best quintile spends a median of $16,996 on meals every year.
We’ve got to marvel if the everyday individual within the U.S. will proceed consuming 280 eggs a 12 months.
Tariffs
Tariffs additionally hit the much less prosperous hardest:
Our Backside Line: Regressive Insurance policies
As economists, taking a look at eggs and tariffs, we are able to cite their regressive influence. When referring to taxes, regressive means the coverage takes the next p.c from decrease revenue households. instance is the 18.3 cent fuel tax. All of us can pay $1.83 because the tax complete for 10 gallons of gas. Nonetheless, for staff incomes the federal minimal of $7.25 an hour, the tax is the next proportion of that wage than for somebody incomes the $14.00 minimal in a distinct state.
Correspondingly, once we pay extra for eggs, it takes the next p.c from these of us that earn much less. And, as Axios displayed, tariff charges additionally goal gadgets bought by decrease revenue households.
Returning to at this time’s title, a regressive influence makes eggs and tariffs related.
My sources and extra: Considered one of many prospects, the NY Occasions had one of the best description of the latest egg heist. From there, following the low revenue thread, the USDA had the information on egg costs and family spending. Then, my Axios Markets e-newsletter had the tariff details. However for one of the best tariff dialogue, do have a look at the Progressive Coverage Institute. And eventually, econlife defined the pop in egg costs right here.
