GEAR JRNL

What falling wage growth says about where the U.S. economy is heading

Americans are getting smaller pay raises while tariffs and higher gas prices are threatening to make everything more expensive.

Translation: The affordability problem isn't improving.

New government datareleasedFriday showed non-supervisory workers getting a 3.4% pay raise on average hourly earnings over the last year. That's the slowest pace of wage gains since 2021, and a downshift from the last two years, when pay bumps were closer to 4%.

The slowdown comes as economists worry about rising inflation, with the Iran war choking off oil tankers and pushing gas prices up over $1 per gallon in just a month, to a national average of $4.09 on Friday.

As diesel costs break $5.50 a gallon (compared to just $3.89 a month ago), retailers and grocers are now contending with higher transportation costs. Amazon said Thursday it will begin charging sellers a 3.5% "fuel and logistics-related surcharge" beginning on April 17.

Airlines like United and JetBlue are raising bag fees in an effort to offset sky-high jet fuel costs. The International Air Transport Associationsays the price of jet fuelis up 104% in the past month.

"With the recent uptick in inflation driven by energy prices, real wage growth is likely to decelerate further, putting increased pressure on consumers," said Thrivent's chief financial and investment officer, David Royal.

For now, Americans are still seeing their earnings rise at a faster pace than the increase in price tags at the store. As pay rose by 3.4%, themost recent inflation datashowed prices rising by 2.4% year-over-year.

Wage gains for non-supervisory employees — a category that includes roughly four out of every five non-farm workers — have been outpacing price increases since March 2023, when post-pandemic inflation finally began to cool.

But the concern is that the story could change soon. Because of the bump from oil prices, Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long said it's possible inflation could pace at 4% this month.

"Four percent is above that 3.5 percent annual wage gain, and that's where you see a lot of squeeze on workers, particularly middle-class and moderate-income workers," Long said.

Warning signs are flashing that slowing wage growth could ripple beyond the gas station and prices at the grocery store. Higher mortgage rates now have some worried about icing out even more potential homebuyers.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 5.99% at the start of the war to 6.45% on April 3, according toMortgage News Daily. The rise is due in part to concerns that the Federal Reserve will have to raise interest rates to tamp down on war-driven inflation.

"With choppy job growth, weaker labor-force attachment and rising uncertainty, many households — especially renters and first-time buyers — could become more cautious as weaker inflation-adjusted wages erode recent affordability improvements," said Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy.

If wages can't keep up with rising costs across the board, it's likely that affordability will become a larger issue than it already was prior to the war. An NBC News poll conducted during the first week of the war with Iran found that, for a plurality of respondents, inflation and the cost of living was themost important issuefacing the country.

Economists feel the same way.

Responding to a question from NBC News at aMarch 18 news conference, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noted that "real" wage gains — a measure of wages adjusted for inflation — need to be positive in order for Americans to feel better about affordability.

"it will take some years of positive real earning gains for people to feel good again, we think. But you're right — when you talk to people, they do feel squeezed," Powell said.

byAdministrator

in

April 04, 2026

What falling wage growth says about where the U.S. economy is heading

Americans are getting smaller pay raises while tariffs and higher gas prices are threatening to make everything more expe...

3 hospitalized after bus crashes through Washington, D.C. restaurant

Three women were taken to the hospital after a bus and vehicle collided in Washington, D.C., sending the bus crashing into a closed restaurant, according to first responders.

It's not clear what led to the collision.CBS affiliate WUSAreported that the bus, part of Washington, D.C.'s public transit system, hit the vehicle. First responders were dispatched to the site around 7:13 a.m., the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department told CBS News.

The restaurant was closed when the bus crashed through its facade, the departmentsaid on X. Photos show the front of the bus surrounded by debris.Another imageshows a dark-car van with significant damage on the rear driver's side.A videoshows the first responders breaking up the concrete at the restaurant's entrance to facilitate the bus's removal.

Four patients were evaluated, the department said on X, and three adult female patients were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Metro Transit Policesaid on Xthat the bus driver sustained minor injuries. A photo shows one person being wheeled towards an ambulance on a stretcher.

WUSA reported that the restaurant, called Ambar, was empty at the time of the crash, but was set to open for brunch at 9:20 a.m.Ambarserves Balkan food and has two locations in Washington, D.C., one in Virginia, and one in Chicago, Illinois. The crash occurred at the 7th St. & Q St. NW location, according to the department.

Firefighters searched the building as a precaution and secured its utilities, said the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. The department said crews are still working to get the bus out of the building. Once it is removed, the building's structural integrity will be assessed. An initial evaluation found no significant structural issues, the department told CBS News.

The crash is being investigated by the department and by police, WUSA reported.

White House reacts to F-15E fighter jet downed over Iran

Early details on F-15E fighter jet downed in Iran

Trump fires Attorney General Pam Bondi: Here's what we know

byAdministrator

in

April 04, 2026

3 hospitalized after bus crashes through Washington, D.C. restaurant

Three women were taken to the hospital after a bus and vehicle collided in Washington, D.C., sending the bus crashing ...

'Price is Right' producer defends show after Bob Barker allegations

Roger Dobkowitz, a longtime producer on"The Price is Right,"is speaking out after a recent documentary series featured allegations against hostBob Barker.

Dobkowitz, who had a 36-season run on the Daytime Emmy-winning show from 1972 to 2008, weighed in on E!'s"Dirty Rotten Scandals,"a show that pulls back the curtain on classic television series through behind-the-scenes exposés.

The series' two-part segment on "The Price is Right," which aired on March 18, included allegations from several of the game show's former models, whodescribed a culture of sexual harassmentthat pervaded production during the show's early years.

In a March 29Facebook post, Dobkowitz said he initially "avoided commenting" on the docuseries because he "didn't want to add any social traction to such an obvious 'hit piece.'"

"Price is Right" host Bob Barker, right, and producer Roger Dobkowitz appear on set during the taping of the show's 34th season premiere at CBS Television City in Los Angeles on June 9, 2005.

'Price is Right' allegations:Game show models allege harassment during Bob Barker era

"The 'documentary' should just quietly disappear into the bottom of a TV equivalent of a waste basket along with all the other forgotten so-called 'exposés,'" Dobkowitz, 80, continued. "There are some people in this world who will happily exaggerate and create falsehoods in order to justify a personal hateful vendetta against a person in order to draw attention to themselves."

USA TODAY has reached out to Dobkowitz and the E! network for comment.

Former 'Price is Right' producer says Bob Barker accusers are not 'brave'

Holly Hallstrom, who was a "Barker's Beauties" model from 1977 to 1995,alleged on "Dirty Rotten Scandals"that Barker often silenced women who complained about incidents of sexual harassment on set.

"If anyone had gone to Bob because Bob was in charge of the show and said, 'I have a problem. I have a complaint.' He would have told her to get over it or look for a new job," said Hallstrom, who also accused the game show host of having an affair with fellow model Dian Parkinson.

Barker, who retired as "Price of Right" host in 2007, died in 2023.

"Making the situation worse is the fact that the accused is deceased, and therefore, making it impossible for the accused to defend himself," Dobkowitz wrote on Facebook. "The adjective 'brave' should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person."

Barker faced his fair share of legal troubles during his stint on the iconic game show. In 1994, Parkinson filed an $8 million sexual harassment lawsuit, though Barker denied the charges, and Parkinson withdrew the suit a year later.

It's hard to say goodbye, but fans of these TV shows will have to do just that in 2026. From fantasy epics like Starz's "Outlander" (starring Sam Heughan, left, and Caitriona Balfe, pictured) to talk shows like "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and "Late Night With Stephen Colbert," these 20 shows are ending this year.