Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has insisted she goes to the grocery store “every week” and isn’t shocked by the prices
Yellen quickly dismissed a question about grocery prices, which have risen 20% since before the COVID-19 pandemic, during an interview with Yahoo Finance’s Jennifer Schonberger on Monday.
“Have you been to the grocery store lately?” Schonberger asked Yellen.
“I sure have — I go every week,” Yellen responded.
“It’s sticker shock, isn’t it? Even though shipping costs have come down and global food commodity prices have decreased, food prices remain high. Should the US invest in agriculture to boost the food supply?” Schonberger asked.
Yellen, who has an estimated net worth of $20 million, started to say “No” before Schonberger finished her question.
“I think it largely reflects cost increases, including labor costs that grocery firms have experienced, although there may be some increases in margins,” Yellen said.
Yellen mentioned that she had met with several grocery store CEOs, including the CEO of Target, who told her they were cutting costs for essential items like bread, milk, diapers, and other “core purchases.”
“I think that’s to be applauded. I think that kind of thing is helpful, but I would be reluctant to agree that we should be centralizing agriculture,” Yellen added.