In a report published by the US Business Insider site, authors Juliana Kaplan and Grace Kay said that the continuing shortage of computer chips has affected the automotive industry and technologies.

The report says that chip makers such as Intel (Intel) had previously suffered from production problems before the spread of the epidemic, but the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a variety of new problems at the level of the supply chain.

Semiconductors

The semiconductor shortage has affected carmakers hard, according to the report. In January, consulting firm Alix Partners estimated that the car industry would lose $ 61 billion in revenue this year due to the shortfall.

Due to the production of more cars, competition for chips increased, and since then many companies in the sector have had to close production units and give priority to some models over others, while the prices of cars at dealerships continued to rise.

Used cars and the chip crisis

USA Today reports that used car prices are on the rise, as a shortage of electronic chips affects production of new cars.

This prompted buyers to search for vintage cars instead, creating a competitive used-car market, with the average used car price reaching 17,609 dollars.

But if you want to rent a car - the report says - you may not be lucky either, as prices have increased amid increasing demand in this area.

Americans are eager to go on vacation this summer as more people are vaccinated and some restrictions eased, increasing demand for car rental services.

But car rental companies sold parts of their fleets early in the pandemic, leaving fewer cars, according to a Business Insider report.

Chip makers like Intel had previously had production problems before the outbreak and continued to struggle afterwards (Getty Images)

High fuel demand

Demand for fuel has increased and interest in travel has increased with the increase in vaccination rates.

The decrease in fuel production rates also led to an increase in its prices, as OPEC member states have been slow to stop curbing production, according to Business Insider.

According to the Consumer Price Index of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, fuel prices rose by 22.5% in March, compared to the previous year, for example.

This is due to the icy weather that Texas faced, which shut down a fifth of the nation's oil refining capacity for weeks.

Plastic and palm oil

The devastating winter storms in Texas affected the plastics industry, as they caused the suspension of many factories that are difficult to restore to work.

The site quoted the "Financial Times" (Financial Times) as saying that the rise in plastic prices has increased packaging costs by nearly 40% since the beginning of 2020, registering "record highs".

The newspaper added that palm oil, which is found in the majority of these packaged products, has also risen in price due to a shortage of labor, knowing that the industry is already struggling to find more sustainable production methods.

Trucking

A Business Insider report quoted the Wall Street Journal as saying that increased demand for road freight coincided with a shortage of drivers and trucks, which led to higher freight costs.

The American website stated that truck drivers' wages are on the rise, and this increase comes amid increased demand after a mass exodus of drivers in 2019, as trucking companies witnessed a decline in profits, even if some of them went bankrupt.

Telework greatly increased the demand for spacious housing in America, driving up the prices of homes and timber (Getty Images)

Homes and vacation homes

According to the Wall Street Journal, home builders are struggling to keep up with demand, as remote work fuels interest in spacious housing, with home prices rising the fastest in 15 years.

The price of timber also explains the higher cost of new homes.

According to data from the National Association of Realtors, the average home cost in the United States in the past year alone has increased by 15% from $ 300,000 in 2019 to $ 340,000 at the end of 2020, even as vacation home rents are at an all-time high.

the wood

If you are wondering why houses are so expensive around you - a Business Insider report says - it is due to the high price of timber, as lumber plants have been forced to close temporarily due to safety concerns.

When factories reopened, they were unable to keep pace with the demand for a dynamic housing market, which is driven by the work-from-home economy, record-low mortgage rates, and the need for personal space during the pandemic.

And according to a report published by the National Association of Home Builders in April, soaring timber prices added $ 36,000 to the cost of a new home.

According to this report, timber prices "remain high" due to factory closures, unexpected demand from large retail stores, and tariffs imposed on Canadian timber.

Household products like toilet paper and tampons

Many household goods including toilet paper, nappies and tampons are experiencing supply problems.

One of the largest producers of toilet paper raw materials told Bloomberg that delays at ports and high shipping costs are forcing companies to delay delivery by months, which would push up prices.

Many household goods, including toilet paper and diapers, are experiencing supply problems causing prices to rise (Getty Images)

Furniture

Telework has contributed to the boom in the furniture industry, but delivery times for customers can range from 5 to 9 months from the date of ordering.

Also, the parts that US furniture stores used to supply from China are no longer available as they used to be.

The global shortage of shipping containers, along with delays at major ports in Southern California, not only made goods more expensive, but also delayed delivery times by several months, says the Business Insider report.

In addition, the furniture shortage has been exacerbated by the noticeable rise in home ownership, bringing the number of available and unsold homes to record levels.

In other words, many new homeowners have been waiting for a long time to get their new living rooms.

Chicken and imported foods

Americans can no longer find chicken wings as the supply is in short supply.

This shortage has resulted in higher prices.

Devastating winter storms in Texas increased demand in exchange for reduced supply.

According to Business Insider, imported goods, including coffee, cheese, seafood and olive oil, wait months of delays in shipping.

Dozens of huge container ships are waiting to dock off the coast of Los Angeles, which receives about a third of US imports.

And some companies are suffering from a lack of products.

The report adds that delays at ports have caused coffee prices to rise to their highest levels in more than a year.

Employment

Many companies across the United States have experienced a significant drop in workers.

According to Business Insider, chains such as Dunkin and Starbucks are struggling to find workers, leading to fewer hours.

The unemployed workers chose not to return to their jobs because they are now enjoying unemployment benefits whose value is higher than the value of their salaries, in addition to persistent fears of Covid-19 infection and the need to take care of children at home.