Why Workers Are Staying Put Despite Record Inflation

With inflation hitting 4.2% annually in May 2026 and hourly earnings up just 2.4% year-over-year, workers are trapped between rising costs and stagnant pay. Lucas and Luna dig into the latest data: unemployment flat at 4.3%, job openings surging to 7.6 million, yet quits are down and wage growth is concentrated among job-switchers. They unpack the New York Fed survey showing financial anxiety at its highest since 2022, and examine why workers over 55 are staying put, locking down the labor market. The episode also touches on the Fed's dilemma: wage growth is too slow for workers but too fast for inflation hawks. A tight, data-driven conversation on the paradox of a strong jobs market and anxious households. #Inflation #WageGrowth #JobOpenings #LaborMarket #NewYorkFed #WorkerAnxiety #Unemployment #JOLTS #StayingPut #QuitsRate #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LaborMarketPodcast #FederalReserve #FinancialAnxiety #EnergyInflation #WageStagnation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo