Why Central Banks Are Watching the Wage-Price Spiral Again

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the renewed central bank focus on the wage-price spiral in mid-2026. With labour markets still tight and services inflation sticky, policymakers worry that persistent wage growth could feed a self-reinforcing loop. Lucas explains the historical context—the 1970s experience and how it differs today—and walks through the specific data points the Fed, ECB, and Bank of Japan are watching: the Atlanta Wage Tracker, unit labour costs, and productivity figures. Luna raises the counterargument that profit margins and supply chains matter more, and Lucas breaks down why central banks still see wages as the key transmission mechanism. The episode closes on the question of whether today's institutional credibility makes a full spiral unlikely, but warns that the risk isn't zero. Specific and grounded, this episode helps listeners understand one of the most debated concepts in monetary policy today. #WagePriceSpiral #CentralBanks #MonetaryPolicy #Inflation #FederalReserve #ECB #BankOfJapan #AtlantaWageTracker #UnitLabourCosts #Productivity #LabourMarket #ServicesInflation #1970s #PhillipsCurve #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #MonetaryPolicyExplained Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo