# Why Wage Growth Is Finally Beating Inflation for Ordinary Workers

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-economic-forecast-podcast-with-fexingo-predictions-outlooks-and-what-s-coming-next-7871824/why-wage-growth-is-finally-beating-inflation-for-ordinary-workers
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-economic-forecast-podcast-with-fexingo-predictions-outlooks-and-what-s-coming-next-7871824/why-wage-growth-is-finally-beating-inflation-for-ordinary-workers.md
Podcast: [The Economic Forecast Podcast with Fexingo: Predictions, Outlooks, and What's Coming Next](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-economic-forecast-podcast-with-fexingo-predictions-outlooks-and-what-s-coming-next-7871824)
Published: 2026-07-20T20:13:58+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/the-economic-forecast-podcast/episode-0123.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/the-economic-forecast-podcast/episode-0123.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-economic-forecast-podcast-with-fexingo-predictions-outlooks-and-what-s-coming-next-7871824/episodes/why-wage-growth-is-finally-beating-inflation-for-ordinary-workers
Duration seconds: 457

## Resource

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

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