Immigration is slowly increasing after a stark pandemic drop

Apr 10, 2023
Here's what that could mean for the labor market — and inflation.
Above, a U.S. naturalization ceremony in Boston on Jan. 5. An uptick in the number of immigrants could help ease persistent labor shortages.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Amid slowing wage growth, new jobs and salary negotiations still pay off

Apr 10, 2023
As wage growth slows, workers consider job-hopping to boost their pay; but when offered a new job, only 3-in-10 try to negotiate for a better deal.
Wage growth is slowing relative to peak pandemic times. With inflation remaining elevated, workers are looking for workarounds.
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Wage increases seem to be slowing after more than a year of strong gains

Apr 6, 2023
That's good news for in the fight against inflation, as long as consumers don't cut spending so much that the economy tips into recession.
Lower-wage workers, including those in the service industry, have seen some of the strongest wage gains in recent years.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Lower-income earners' wages have grown faster than others

Mar 8, 2023
A tight labor market has helped low-income workers raise their wages, according to a new working paper.
Many young people without degrees have left jobs in restaurants and hospitality to move to higher paying fields.
Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images

Where's the sweet spot for wage growth?

Mar 1, 2023
Economists say 3.5% wage growth is about right when you take inflation and productivity growth into account — but we're not there yet.
Right now, wage growth is at 4.4% year over year. But economists say 3.5% is the ideal figure.
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Wage growth is slowing down. But is there an upside for workers?

Jan 31, 2023
Wages increased 1% in Q4. Inflation is also slowing. All that could impact whether — and by how much — the Fed hikes interest rates.
Wage growth slowed to 1% in Q4, but inflation has been slowing too.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

What we found in Buffalo, NY: Courage, innovation and a larger story behind the data

Nov 2, 2022
“This was the first time I saw the data match to a human experience,” says Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist.
Nela Richardson, ADP chief economist, talks with "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal inside Taste of Soul, a restaurant in Buffalo, New York. “I think there's a detachment between the number, the data, and the people who those numbers represent,” Richardson says.
Brandon Watson

For public good, not for profit.

An economic "hope story" in Buffalo, New York

Over the past few years, pay for low-wage workers in the city has risen more than 40%, according to one analysis.
In Buffalo, there is "the sense that low-wage workers are doing better than inflation," says Nela Richardson of ADP, walking down Elmwood Avenue with "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal.
Brandon Watson

Lowest-paid workers will likely feel the pinch of cooling economy first

Jun 23, 2022
Those same workers have seen their wages grow faster than the overall average in the last year thanks to the labor shortage.
Workers in low-paid environments, like restaurants and bars, saw some of the biggest wage gains during the pandemic.
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Wages are still growing in many sectors that need that growth

Jun 3, 2022
That may be a sign that the overheated job market is cooling down.
Wages went up in leisure and hospitality — just in time for summer.
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