‘Difficult’ to be hopeful: How people survive under one of the worst inflation rates in the country | CNN Business

Britney Johnson has started setting her alarm for 3:50am. That’s the only way she’ll make it to the bus on time to commute to Seattle from her home in Tacoma – a 74-mile roundtrip. Johnson used to drive to work as a line cook at Meta’s Seattle offices. But then gas prices started to creep up in the spring, topping out at $5.89 per gallon. “And I was like, oh my gosh!” she said, “I’m getting up earlier.” Johnson isn’t the only one making sacrifices to make ends meet. Inflation is still hurting many working families nationwide, but in metro areas like Seattle, the pain is even more acute. The inflation rate in the Emerald City is one of the highest in the country – 4.5% in June, a whole percentage point higher than the national rate and second only to Philadelphia. The cost of living in the US has risen for years, mainly driven by food and energy. But the culprit behind Seattle’s sharp increase is energy – both gasoline and for the home. “That to me, is the whole enchilada, not to minimize the other stuff, like food,” said Victor Menaldo, University of Washington professor of political science and expert on political economy. “We’re very much into re