> Maybe I'm incredibly stupid but I still can't understand why everything in our lives have to be entirely devoted to "the economy". Things like CPI are import

> Maybe I'm incredibly stupid but I still can't understand why everything in our lives have to be entirely devoted to "the economy". Things like CPI are important because they underpin things like wage increases in contracts as well as government pensions. It's probably one of the most analyzed numbers that is released. And while there's always measurement error, getting things accurately—especially trends—determines planning for things like factory expansions, production runs, supply chain contracts months out. These will determine staffing and employment needs—the livelihoods of many, many people. "The economy" means employed people who have to pay rent/mortgages, groceries, etc.