Inflation 3.4% in July (year over year)
Growth in average hourly earnings 3.2% in July
The hourly-wage worker, the one who does the heavy lifting and grunting, the one who makes minimum wage, the one who is the most vulnerable to micro-changes in the macro economy, the backbone of the U.S. economy, lost .2% of his/her purchasing power in July 2026 from July 2025 to ONE factor, inflation.
