How Your Raise Is Finally Beating Pet Care Costs

In Episode 58 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into a surprising area where wage growth is finally outpacing inflation: pet care. Using May 2026 data showing average hourly earnings at $37.50 and CPI at 334.0, they explore why veterinary costs and pet food prices have moderated while paychecks keep climbing. They discuss how the pandemic pet boom led to a surge in demand and prices, but now supply chains have stabilized and competition among clinics is cooling prices. Lucas cites the employment cost index for wages rising to 177.5, while core CPI excluding food and energy only ticked up to 336.1. The hosts also touch on how this trend reflects broader economic shifts, including more workers returning to offices and spending less on pet services. Listeners get a concrete example of how real purchasing power is improving in a niche category, with a light donation segment woven in naturally. #WagesAndPrices #Economics #PetCareCosts #WageGrowth #Inflation #PurchasingPower #CPI #VeterinaryCosts #PetFoodPrices #EmploymentCostIndex #AverageHourlyEarnings #RealWages #CostOfLiving #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #May2026 #PandemicPetBoom #SupplyChain Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo