the.com/wage growth
the raise you got that inflation immediately mugged in the parking lot.
means the rate at which pay increases over time, usually measured year over year across the workforce.
from economists started tracking it seriously mid-20th century once central banks realized wages and prices chase each other in a spiral nobody can outrun.
real vs nominalnominal is the number, real subtracts inflation
fed watches closelyfast wage growth can spook central bankers into rate hikes
sticky downwardemployers rarely cut wages, they just freeze them
lagging indicatorwages rise months after job market actually tightens