Abha Bhattarai

Washington, D.C.

Reporter covering the U.S. economy

Education: Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism

Abha Bhattarai is the economics correspondent for The Washington Post. She previously covered retail for the publication, and has also written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Tampa Bay Times.
Latest from Abha Bhattarai

Inflation drops to lowest levels since March 2021 as economy cools

Wages are now rising faster than prices. The Federal Reserve isn’t ready to declare victory yet, because inflation isn’t consistently falling yet.

July 12, 2023

Americans using ‘buy now, pay later’ apps to contend with high grocery prices

More shoppers are turning to buy now, pay later apps like Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay to afford household essentials.

July 12, 2023

Businesses are cutting workers’ hours in a warning sign for the economy

The number of people working part-time for economic reasons beyond their control jumped by nearly 500,000 last month, the biggest jump in more than three years.

July 11, 2023

Employers add 209,000 jobs in June, a slow but steady gain

In June, the hardy job market continued to help prop up the broader economy, even as the Federal Reserve takes aggressive action to slow things down.

July 7, 2023

What banks do with your money

When your money goes into the bank, it’s immediately put to work. Follow $100 on its journey through the U.S. financial system.

July 6, 2023

Biden says he’s reshaping the economy. Economists say it’s too early to tell.

While President Biden's policies redirect billions of dollars into new kinds of investment and jobs, experts warn it could take years before Americans see lasting results.

June 30, 2023

Fed leaves rates unchanged for first time since March 2022

For central bankers, the goal is to evaluate how their moves over the past year are affecting the economy in real time.

June 14, 2023

There’s a widening spending gap between retirees and younger adults

Older Americans are splurging more on travel and dining out than younger consumers, who are spending more on housing and basics, according to a new report.

June 14, 2023

People are spending less on hotels, flights and restaurants

Signs of a consumer slowdown could be good news for the Fed, which is poised to hold interest rates steady for the first time in over a year.

June 12, 2023

New SNAP work requirements, explained

Four ways the debt deal could affect who’s eligible for benefits such as SNAP and TANF.

June 1, 2023