Wells Fargo said in newly released economic forecast for 2022 that it expects inflation to cool somewhat next year, while warning there’s a risk that COVID-19 interruptions and supply-chain disruptions could trigger “self-sustaining” wage and rent gains and lead to persistent inflation. Consumer spending is expected to be the main driver of U.S. economic strength next year, with continued reopening likely to provide a boost to frontline service industries that were hit hardest by the pandemic, the Wells Fargo team said in the report, released Dec. 8. The analysts predict U.S. economic growth will slow to 4.5 percent by the end of 2022 as manufacturing pivots away from the current surge in “catch-up” and “inventory restocking” spending at around the midpoint of the year. “During this transition, we expect the U.S. economy to navigate through obstacles in the operating environment, including fuel costs and general price inflation, (modestly) higher interest rates, and …