What the Employment Cost Index Tells Us About Wage Pressure

Lucas and Luna dig into the Employment Cost Index — a less-hyped but arguably more reliable measure of wage pressure than average hourly earnings. They explain why the ECI rose to 177.5 in Q1 2026, how it smooths out composition effects that distort other wage data, and what it means for the Fed's next move. With the unemployment rate flat at 4.3% and job openings jumping to 7.6 million, the hosts ask: is the labor market still tight, or are we seeing a lagging indicator? A deep dive into one specific data release that hiring managers and job seekers alike should watch. #EmploymentCostIndex #WageGrowth #LaborMarket #FedPolicy #JOLTS #Unemployment #Inflation #Careers #Hiring #JobMarket #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Economics #FederalReserve #WagePressure #ECI #CompensationCosts Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo