Wages and Prices with Fexingo: Cost of Living, Pay Raises, and Workers' Purchasing Power

Wage growth has been outpacing inflation for months, but new data shows that lower-paid workers are now getting bigger percentage raises than executives. Lucas and Luna dig into the Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest release on wage growth by percentile, covering the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles. They discuss why the gap is narrowing, what it means for income inequality, and how this connects...

Lucas and Luna examine a surprising shift in worker purchasing power: recreation prices are rising slower than wages for the first time in years. With the latest CPI data showing recreation costs up just 1.8% year-over-year versus average hourly earnings up 3.2%, they explore what this means for the average worker's quality of life. They discuss how cheaper consumer electronics, streaming competit...

Episode 52 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo dives into a turning point that listeners have been waiting for: grocery prices are finally rising slower than wages. Lucas and Luna break down the latest CPI data — showing food-at-home inflation at just 1.8% annually versus wage growth of 4.2% — and what it means for the average worker's purchasing power. They explore why grocery inflation has cooled w...

In Episode 51 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising shift: wage growth is now outpacing rent increases in smaller metros for the first time since 2020. Using fresh May 2026 data—average hourly earnings hitting $37.50 and CPI rent still climbing 4.2% annually—they explain why the gap is closing in places like Boise and Knoxville, while big coastal cities still lag....

In this special 50th episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a rare piece of good news for American workers: after years of being crushed by rising housing costs, wage growth is finally outpacing rent increases. Using the latest data, including median weekly earnings of $1,204 and a CPI rent index that's rising at its slowest pace in years, the hosts explain the structural forces behin...

In episode 49 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a long-awaited shift in the cost-of-living landscape: for the first time in three years, average hourly earnings are growing faster than rent. Using May 2026 data—average hourly earnings at $37.50 and CPI shelter index up just 3.8% year-over-year—they unpack why rents have decelerated while wages keep climbing. The hosts explore the role of...

For months, headlines have screamed about 4.2% CPI inflation eroding wage gains. But Lucas and Luna dig into the numbers that tell a different story: core inflation—excluding food and energy—is rising at just 2.5% annually, while average hourly earnings are up 3.7% year-over-year. That means real wage growth relative to core prices is positive for the first sustained stretch since 2021. They break...

Episode 47 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna drill into a detail that wage-growth headlines miss: utilities. The CPI shelter index gets all the attention, but electricity, gas, and water costs have climbed nearly 9 percent over the past year, outpacing both average hourly earnings growth and headline CPI. Using May 2026 data — hourly earnings at $37.50, CPI at 4.2 percent annually —...

For years, healthcare costs have been the silent thief of wage gains. But new data from May 2026 shows that average hourly earnings are rising at 4.2% annually, while health insurance premiums are growing at just 2.8%. Lucas and Luna dig into why this is happening, from the shift to high-deductible plans to the impact of GLP-1 drugs lowering long-term costs. They also explore what it means for you...

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna drill into the latest May CPI and PPI data, showing how a 1.1% jump in wholesale prices — driven by surging energy costs — is quietly eroding the real wage gains workers have finally started to see. They break down why the 4.2% annual inflation rate is the highest in three years, and what that means for the average hourly earnings figure of $37.5...

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine how surging energy costs are quietly eroding the purchasing power of recent wage gains. With consumer prices up 4.2% year-over-year in May 2026 and the 10-year breakeven inflation rate rising to 2.34%, they drill into the specific mechanics: why energy matters more than other categories, how it disproportionately affects lower-income work...

Lucas and Luna break down the latest May 2026 CPI report showing 4.2% annual inflation, the highest in three years, against average hourly earnings of $37.50. They explain how real wage growth has shrunk to nearly zero, why core services inflation is the stubborn culprit, and what the employment cost index signals about future pay. A focused look at why your raise feels like it's just barely keepi...

In this episode of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine a surprising turn in the cost of childcare. For years, childcare costs have risen faster than wages, squeezing working parents. But new data shows that in 2026, average hourly earnings are growing at 4.2 percent year-over-year, while childcare inflation has slowed to just 2.8 percent — the first sustained gap in a decade. The...

Episode 41 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo explores how rising hourly pay is colliding with a less obvious cost: insurance premiums. Lucas and Luna break down why even a strong 2026 raise can feel invisible when health, auto, and home insurance costs climb faster than headline inflation. Using the latest CPI data and the New York Fed's survey on household financial worries, they unpack the squeez...

In episode 40 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a shift that's quietly improving household budgets for millions of borrowers: wages are finally outpacing student loan payments. With average hourly earnings at $37.50 and median weekly earnings at $1,204, the income side of the ledger is growing faster than the typical student loan bill, which has been frozen in place for many since the pa...

This episode of Wages and Prices examines why the real purchasing power of your raise depends heavily on which industry you work in. Lucas and Luna dig into Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that wage gains in leisure and hospitality have outpaced those in professional services over the past year, even as average hourly earnings hit $37.50. They explore how this sectoral divergence affects w...

Lucas and Luna break down a quiet shift in how Americans get paid: hourly wages keep ticking up, but variable pay like bonuses and commissions is dropping. Using the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2026, they explore why employers are pulling back on incentive pay, what it means for the workers who depend on those end-of-year checks, and how this trend connects to the broader story...

In Episode 37 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine a surprising shift in household budgets: wages are finally outpacing auto loan payments. With average hourly earnings at $37.50 and new car payments averaging $750 per month, the ratio of a monthly payment to a week's pay has dropped below 4 to 1 for the first time since 2021. They dig into why this matters—and why it might not...

Episode 36 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo. Hosts Lucas and Luna look at a surprising trend: despite real wage growth finally turning positive in early 2026, household debt payments are consuming a record share of disposable income. They break down how the average raise of about 2.5% over the past year is being offset by rising credit card and auto loan costs. Using data from the New York Fed's l...

Episode 35 of Wages and Prices digs into a quiet pattern in the May 2026 data: average hourly earnings are up to $37.50, but the broadest CPI hit 332.4 in April. Lucas and Luna walk through why the headline wage number can feel disconnected from what a paycheque actually buys, using the latest employment cost index and core inflation figures. They explore how the gap between what employers report...

For most of the past four years, raises have been a losing battle against inflation. But fresh data from May shows that average hourly earnings are now growing faster than consumer prices for the first sustained stretch since early 2021. Lucas and Luna dig into the numbers: average hourly earnings hit $37.50, the CPI is at 332.4, and the gap between wage growth and price growth has flipped positiv...

With the May jobs report coming Friday and ADP showing private payrolls grew by 122,000 in May, Lucas and Luna dig into a puzzle: wage growth is positive but long-term unemployment is surging. They explore hidden costs for workers, including skill erosion, employer bias, and the scarring effect on future earnings. Citing data on median weekly earnings at $1,204 and the CPI at 332.4, they ask wheth...

In Episode 32 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a rare economic turning point: after years of raises lagging behind inflation, wage growth is finally pulling ahead. With average hourly earnings at $37.40 and the ten-year breakeven inflation rate dropping to 2.36 percent, real purchasing power is rising for the first time in this cycle. But it's not even across the board. The hosts unpack...

Average hourly earnings are up nationally, but a new Fed study shows wage growth varies wildly by metro area. Lucas and Luna break down why workers in Sun Belt cities are seeing bigger raises than those in the Northeast, and how local housing costs eat into purchasing power. Using fresh April 2026 data, they explain the geography of your paycheck and what it means for your next job move. #WageGrow...

Episode 30 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna examine the surprising divergence between surging job openings and slowing wage growth. Using April's JOLTS report — 7.6 million openings, the highest in nearly two years — and April wage data showing just 0.13% monthly growth, they explore why more vacancies aren't translating into bigger paychecks. The hosts drill into the 'job-switchin...