# Real Wages Finally Going Up—But Here's the Catch
After nearly two years of getting absolutely wrecked by inflation, American workers are finally earning more in real terms. Wage growth has officially outpaced price increases for the first time since the inflation spike started in 2021. Sounds great, right?
Not so fast. The data is messier than the headlines suggest.
**The Reality Check:**
- Tech and healthcare workers are seeing solid gains; retail and service sector? Not so much.
- Lower-income households spend 60-70% of their budgets on essentials (food, rent, transport)—precisely the cat
After nearly two years of getting absolutely wrecked by inflation, American workers are finally earning more in real terms. Wage growth has officially outpaced price increases for the first time since the inflation spike started in 2021. Sounds great, right?
Not so fast. The data is messier than the headlines suggest.
**The Reality Check:**
- Tech and healthcare workers are seeing solid gains; retail and service sector? Not so much.
- Lower-income households spend 60-70% of their budgets on essentials (food, rent, transport)—precisely the cat

