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Panel will set wages and conditions for 500,000 California fast food workers

Sep 5, 2022
The approach is rare in the U.S., but common in other industrialized countries.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the FAST Recovery Act on Labor Day.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

When governments fail to address community issues, who steps in?

Jul 6, 2022
In an excerpt from "The Fight to Save the Town," the author describes how residents get by in an Oregon county with a declining government.
A person in Detroit walks past the remains of the Packard Motor Car Co., which ceased production in the late 1950s.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Fed inflation fight could hinder wage gains for lowest-paid workers

Jun 27, 2022
It's all about reducing the demand for labor.
The Federal Reserve's efforts to deal with inflation could have ripple effects that reach workers in lower-wage jobs.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The salary games some employers play

Jun 6, 2022
Withholding information about pay during the hiring process? In this economy?
Pay transparency laws aim to prevent pay discrimination. But some employers act like it’s inappropriate to even ask about pay. 
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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.
Mark Makela/Getty Images

Wages are still rising. Because employers are still feeling the pressure to pay more.

May 26, 2022
Apple is the latest big employer to announce it's hiking hourly pay. The market for in-person work is especially competitive.
An employee serves customers at an Apple store. Apple increased its hourly starting wage to a minimum of $22.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Is a wage-price spiral driving inflation?

May 4, 2022
Wages are rising fast, but not as fast as prices. When inflation expectations drive workers' demands for higher pay, inflation can spiral out of control.
Rising prices can motivate workers to seek higher pay. Both are increasing quickly.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

What's helping drive wage increases for low-wage workers?

May 3, 2022
In some sectors, like leisure and hospitality, workers have been quitting and changing jobs, allowing them move into higher-paid positions.
Wages for jobs like cooks, waiters and hotel clerks rose more than 8% in the first quarter of 2022 from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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New data shows companies are spending more on workers

Apr 29, 2022
Wages are rising and benefits are getting better. Trouble is, inflation is outpacing pay.
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7 in 10 big firms report wage hikes, survey says. Is it enough to keep up with inflation?

Apr 25, 2022
Some economists in the survey don’t expect their firms to pay workers more in the future.
Consumer sentiment registered an uptick in the University of Michigan's latest survey, but buyers remain wary about the economy as a whole.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images