wage growth

People without a high school diploma earn roughly $10,000 less per year than those with one, a gap that adult education programs, which are largely free, are designed to close.

Private-sector employers added 109,000 jobs in April —more than expected, and nearly double what employers added in March, according to the latest report by payroll processor ADP.

The danger is that inflation will overtake wage growth, which would mean Americans overall would have less money for discretionary spending.

The Fed is charged with promoting a strong economy by maintaining stable prices and maximum employment, but the latter could be a challenge with a job market that’s slowing.

Consumers are the engine of the U.S. economy, and how they feel can have real-world consequences.

Economists say numbers that will be released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on unemployment and wage growth will help them get a sense of consumer’s spending power going forward.

But President Trump’s immigration crackdown is having an effect.

Over the last several decades, labor’s share of overall income has been declining. That could have consequences for consumer spending going forward.

Productivity growth allows companies to pull in more profits, which can allow them to raise wages. But recently, wage growth has slowed — even as productivity has stayed strong.

The Employment Cost Index shows wages and benefits grew 3.5% in September year-to-year. That’s the lowest increase since 2021.