Episode
Why Wage Growth Is Finally Beating Inflation for Ordinary Workers
- Published
- Jul 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 457
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Summary
In this episode of The Economic Forecast Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna unpack a quietly significant shift in the US labor market: for the first time since 2021, average hourly earnings are growing faster than core inflation across multiple income brackets. Using fresh June data—average hourly earnings at $37.60, core CPI at 336.1—they show how the gap is closing for the median worker, even as the top and bottom deciles see different outcomes. Lucas points to the surprising driver: not tight labor alone, but a compositional shift as low-wage hospitality jobs rebuild and high-wage tech hiring normalizes. Luna zooms in on the JOLTS data—7.59 million openings—and asks whether wage gains can persist without reigniting service inflation. The hosts also explore the regional divergence: the Sun Belt is seeing real wage growth above 3 percent while the Midwest lags. A must-listen for anyone watching whether consumers can sustain spending into late 2026. #WageGrowth #RealWages #Inflation #LaborMarket #AverageHourlyEarnings #CoreCPI #JOLTS #JobOpenings #FedPolicy #ServiceInflation #RegionalEconomy #SunBelt #Midwest #HiringTrends #EconomicForecast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo