The Hidden Cost of Staying Employed in October 2026

Wages and Prices with Fexingo: Cost of Living, Pay Raises, and Workers' Purchasing Power · Oct 24, 2026 · 10m · transcript

With the unemployment rate hovering near historic lows and jobless claims at their lowest point since the nineteen sixties, workers are trapped in a paradox. We examine how low firing rates have reduced labor turnover but also weakened wage bargaining power. Using September employment data and core CPI figures from October twenty twenty-six, we explain why staying put is costing employees purchasing power. This episode explores the structural shift in the labor market where job security now competes with income growth, leaving many workers feeling financially squeezed despite having steady…