Op-ed: COVID has raised demand for workers and wages. Is that the solution to Philadelphia’s poverty

In recent months, from grocery aisles to gas stations to the cost of popular holiday gifts, evidence of higher prices is everywhere. As anyone who has taken Economics 101 would be able to quickly explain, costs of goods and services rise when demand for them outstrips their supply. Whether due to supply chain snags, pent up demand as COVID lockdowns lift or consumers feeling flush after stimulus payments, the pandemic has not changed this basic tenant of economics.