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

Household incomes rose last year for the first time since 2019

Household incomes rose last year for the first time since 2019, but the poverty rate also went up.

September 10, 2024
People buy groceries at a Walmart Superstore in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Do you spend money more like a millennial or a boomer? Take this quiz to find out.

Economic conditions and individual priorities play a big role in spending. Find out if you spend money more like an 18-year-old or a 78-year-old with this quiz.

August 30, 2024

Surprise jump in retail sales casts aside recession fears

Americans are still spending big — on cars, appliances and furniture — in a surprise burst of activity that’s propelling the U.S. economy and helping shake off fears of an impending downturn.

August 15, 2024
People shop at a store in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Stocks rose Thursday as retail sales came in stronger than expected in July.

Stock markets are in turmoil, but economists say: Don’t panic

Monday’s slide might reflect overvalued stocks more than worries about fundamentals.

August 5, 2024
Specialist Dilip Patel works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday.

The American wedding is shrinking

Weddings are getting smaller as their price tags are getting bigger.

August 3, 2024

More of America’s homeless are clocking into jobs each day

High rents are pushing Americans with jobs out of their homes, adding to worsening homelessness around the country.

July 29, 2024
Bower and her dog, Bean, in their car where they sometimes sleep.

U.S. economy grew 2.8% in second quarter, a robust unexpected strengthening

Fresh data from the Commerce Department on Thursday showed that gross domestic product grew at a 2.8 percent annualized rate.

July 25, 2024
Construction workers in Cherry Hill, N.J., in November 2021. While the U.S. economy grew in the second quarter, a slowdown in home construction was one factor dragging it down. (Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post)

Largest IT outage in history expected to barely register in the economy

The software update that hobbled large swaths of the world sent a shock wave through global business and financial systems, reminiscent of pandemic closures.

July 20, 2024
A checkout terminal hit by the CrowdStrike outage at a Coles store in Canberra, Australia, on Friday.

The labor market reflects continued resilience amid slowdown

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that jobs growth has moderated to 206,000 positions in June.

July 5, 2024
The gradual slowdown in the labor market could buoy hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut in the months to come, reinforcing other signs of a slowdown in hiring, job postings and wage growth.

Trump says immigrants are taking ‘Black jobs.’ Economists disagree.

Economic data shows that Black workers are faring exceptionally well: The Black unemployment rate remains near historic lows and wage gains are at all-time highs.

June 28, 2024
People gather for a watch party during the CNN Presidential Debate with President Biden and former president Donald Trump at Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna, Ga., on Thursday.