> but why would they? They should, because they observe the parent's point: The employee now has the potential to jump ship and re-start this process for a hi

> but why would they? They should, because they observe the parent's point: The employee now has the potential to jump ship and re-start this process for a higher $x, meaning that the employer risks losing the institutional knowledge/institutional memory that this employee contributes, and the employer will suffer the cost and risk of hiring someone(s) new. An employer declining to give a regular pay increase is depending on their employee's loyalty and kindness to remain in employment at lower than their market value, and/or that the average employee has very minimal capacity for risk, because they must constantly stay housed and fed. That might work for the employer a while, but personally I don't find it a wise long-term strategy.