Opinion

Inflation Is Cooling: Jan 2026 Increase Below Seasonal Norms

Inflation Is Cooling: Jan 2026 Increase Below Seasonal Norms
The Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C., in a file photo. MDart10/Shutterstock
Bryan Cutsinger
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Commentary
Inflation cooled more than expected in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2 percent last month, down from 0.3 percent in December. On a year-over-year basis, headline inflation fell from 2.7 percent in December 2025 to 2.4 percent in January 2026—the lowest reading since May 2025.
Bryan Cutsinger
Bryan Cutsinger
Author
Bryan Cutsinger is an assistant professor of economics at the Norris-Vincent College of Business at Angelo State University, where he also serves as the assistant director of the Free Market Institute, and a research assistant professor at the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University. Dr. Cutsinger’s research focuses on monetary history and political economy. His scholarly work has been published in leading economic journals, including Economics Letters, the European Review of Economic History, Explorations in Economic History, Public Choice, and the Southern Economic Journal. His popular writing has appeared in the National Review, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Examiner. Dr. Cutsinger received his B.A. in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University, where he was awarded the William P. Snavely Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies in Economics.