Nearing the end of 2022, it seems an understatement to say that economic conditions are difficult the world over – supply-side issues persist, the war in Ukraine continues and inflation remains high in numerous countries, to name but a few. In this edition of the Economic Brief, we aim to pierce some of the uncertainty caused by these conditions: we look into the IMF’s growth forecasts for the near future; we focus on salaries in the US to understand a potentially overlooked factor in inflation; and we take a step back to consider the wider economic picture and general changes currently at play.