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Latest / Wages and Prices with Fexingo: Cost of Living, Pay Raises, and Workers' Purchasing Power

The Hidden Cost of Your August Paycheck

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna unpack why the August payroll surprise of 162,000 jobs feels like a win on paper but leaves many workers financially tight. We dive into the divergence between rising average hourly earnings and the sticky core CPI at 336.8, asking whether purchasing power is actually recovering or just shifting form. With unemployment holding at 4.1 percent and women driving most job gains, we examine how subscription bloat and service inflation are eating into real wage growth. The hosts break down specific categories where prices refuse to cool, offering…

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