How Your Raise Is Finally Beating Childcare Costs

Wages and Prices with Fexingo: Cost of Living, Pay Raises, and Workers' Purchasing Power · Jul 2, 2026 · 8m · transcript

This episode of Wages and Prices examines the shifting economics of childcare in mid-2026. With average hourly earnings up 0.3% month over month to $37.60 and the employment cost index for wages rising steadily, a growing number of families are finding that pay raises now outpace the increase in daycare and preschool tuition. Lucas and Luna break down the numbers: while the cost of center-based infant care rose 4.2% over the past year, the median weekly wage for full-time workers climbed 3.9%, and for many dual-income households, the gap has narrowed significantly. They discuss the surprising…