Why Your Raise Is Actually Beating Core Inflation Now

For months, headlines have screamed about 4.2% CPI inflation eroding wage gains. But Lucas and Luna dig into the numbers that tell a different story: core inflation—excluding food and energy—is rising at just 2.5% annually, while average hourly earnings are up 3.7% year-over-year. That means real wage growth relative to core prices is positive for the first sustained stretch since 2021. They break down why energy is the outlier, what the core PCE index says about underlying trends, and how the ECB's surprise rate hike this week signals a global shift. If you've felt like your pay is finally stretching further at the grocery store but not at the pump, this episode explains why. #WageGrowth #CoreInflation #RealWages #CPI #PCE #EnergyPrices #ECB #FederalReserve #AverageHourlyEarnings #PurchasingPower #Economics #LaborMarket #Inflation2026 #CentralBanking #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WagesAndPrices #EconomicData Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo