Post-pandemic inflation fears are overblown The deflationary forces of technology and the brave new future of work are more important than the transitory price hikes coming through in current data. Share Too much in our market system revolves around the short term. That certainly holds true for the debate about inflation. Last week’s data showed US prices rising at their fastest pace in 13 years. That has led everyone from top investors to restaurant and hotel owners, who are now finding that they may have to pay more for previously low-wage service staff, to fret about an overheating economy. A freshly made pizza is placed into the oven at Paris’ first robotic pizzeria. Such technology-driven productivity is deflationary.