A closer look at wage measures hints at why consumers still feel gloomy

Jul 4, 2024
Average wage growth has slowed in recent months, though according to the May jobs report, it’s still ahead of inflation.
"While wages have grown across the board, we've actually had the strongest wage growth among the lowest earners," says Valerie Wilson at the Economic Policy Institute.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Economy looms large as United Kingdom heads to polls

Jul 3, 2024
Voting in the U.K.'s general election takes place on Thursday, and the economy has been at the center of the campaign.
Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

Does the federal minimum wage still matter?

Jun 25, 2024
The federal floor is $7.25 an hour — but only around 1% of workers are paid that little. Several states and cities will hike their minimums July 1.
David McNew/Getty Images

The case for wage insurance to offset future job disruption

There's already unemployment insurance. But new research makes the case for wage insurance as further protection for workers.
Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images

What 100-year-old immigration policy can teach us about the economy

Amid new executive actions on immigration, and 100 years since the National Origins Act, we look at how policy has shaped the economy.
Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

Will the May jobs report show more of a slowdown in wage growth?

Jun 6, 2024
Wages were running hot two years ago, rising about 6% annually. Things have cooled since then, with April average wages up just under 4%.
Economists expect continued moderation in wages.
Kameleon007/Getty Images

U.S. rents have grown faster than wages for the past 5 years

May 8, 2024
Rent growth is slower in some places, but much faster in others. We're looking at you, New York City.
Rent grew seven times faster than wages last year in New York City; rents also outpace wages in Boston, Cincinnati, Buffalo and Chicago.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Small businesses see wage pressure easing

May 1, 2024
While the labor market is still tight, some owners aren’t feeling like they need to hike pay as much as they did earlier in the pandemic.
According to the Labor Department, wage gains have been slowing for the past two years.
Kameleon007/Getty Images

Washington, D.C., is a test case for phasing out the tipped minimum wage

Apr 12, 2024
“Now, it is leaner crews,” says one restaurant server, but a more stable income. Other states are watching how it plays out in the capital.
Shortly after the phaseout of the tip credit started in Washington, D.C., last year, employment at sit-down restaurants started to fall sharply, according to state-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images

Wage growth outpaced inflation in March

Apr 5, 2024
That's good for workers, who have been experiencing positive real wage growth since May 2023.
“And so workers are coming out ahead. They’ve now experienced positive real wage growth since May of 2023,” says Julia Pollak at ZipRecruiter.
Nature via Getty Images