-
Strong wage gains cast doubt that inflation is going away anytime soon
September’s wage gains provided more fuel to the argument that the current pace of inflation could run longer than many economists anticipate. Average hourly earnings rose 0.6% for the month, making the year-over-year increase 4.6%. Over the past six months, wages are running at an average 6% annual gain. Excluding a brief spike in 2020, that’s the fastest annual pace since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking the measure in March 2007. It’s also the third month in a row that the annual rise has been more than 4% and comes amid a tightening labor market and inflation that has been more persistent ... (full story)