The new year has started with a hiss and a roar, with 32-year high food price inflation, business confidence plunging to its worst result in half a century, and further falls in house prices.

Here at Infometrics, we are quickly back into work, with updates to our regional and sector data underway, and the forecasting team examining the economy as we head towards recession.

This month, Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan discusses the economic year ahead in his regular, start-of-the-year, "From the beach" article. In it, he looks at previous recessions, some of the current trends we’re watching, and how the housing market is taking the brunt of the hit so far.

Principal Economist Brad Olsen also contributes a slightly longer "Chart of the Month" in January, looking at the rapid reversal in migration figures.