Over the past couple of weeks, I've come across quite a bit of anecdotal evidence suggesting that a lot of people in the US -- but especially those earning belo

Over the past couple of weeks, I've come across quite a bit of anecdotal evidence suggesting that a lot of people in the US -- but especially those earning below median income -- badly need to earn more to make ends meet. Food, energy, entertainment, sneaky hidden fees, and high interest costs seem to be the main culprits. With unemployment near its lowest rate in 50+ years, the pressure is largely on employers to pay up if they want to retain good people.[a] I wouldn't be surprised if we see labor costs rising in the near term, putting pressure on companies everywhere to raise consumer prices further. Some economists and government officials claim that inflation is under control, but the anecdotal data I'm seeing suggests it's too early to sing victory. I hope I'm wrong. --- [a] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE/ https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE/