Economy
US Baby Formula Shortage Rate Jumps to 70% as Crisis Worsens
Houston was nearly out of formula last week, with 90% of stock gone, as supplies dwindled in many cities and states.
The baby formula shortage took a dramatic turn for the worse last week, according to data on 130,000 stores across the US.
Out-of-stock rates spiked to 70% nationally for the week ending May 21, up from 45% the prior week, based on data from the retail-tracking firm Datasembly. In many cities and states, the situation was far more dire.
More than two-thirds of states had shortage rates over 70%, with California, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Montana, Louisiana, Arizona and Utah over 80%, and Utah hit hardest at 89%, up from 49% the week prior.