The amount of money most workers want now to accept a job reached a record high this year, a sign that inflation is alive and well at least in the labor market.
According to the latest New York Federal Reserve employment survey released Monday, the average “reservation wage,” or the minimum acceptable salary offer to switch jobs, rose to $78,645 during the second quarter of 2023.
That’s an increase of about 8% from just a year ago and is the highest level ever in a data series that goes back to the beginning of 2014. Over the past three years, which entails the Covid era, the level has risen more than 22%. The number is significant in that wages increasingly have been recognized as a driving force in inflation. While goods prices have abated since pushing overall inflation to its highest level in more than 40 years in mid-2022, other factors continue to keep it well above the Fed’s targeted rate of 2%.
The New York Fed data is consistent with an Atlanta Fed tracker, which shows wages overall rising at a 6% annual rate but job switchers seeing 7% gains.
Employers have been trying to keep pace with the wage demands, pushing the average full-time offer up to $69,475, a 14% surge in the past year. The actual expected annual salary rose to $67,416, a gain of more than $7,000 from a year ago and also a new high.
Though there was a gap between the wage workers wanted and what was offered, satisfaction with compensation and upward mobility increased across the board.
With markets on edge over what the Fed’s next policy step will be, more signs of a tight labor market raise the likelihood that policymakers will keep interest rates higher for longer. At their July meeting, officials noted that wages “were still rising at rates above levels assessed to be consistent with the sustained achievement” of the 2% inflation goal, minutes from the meeting said.
Monday’s survey results also showed some other mixed patterns in the labor market.
Job seekers, or those who have looked for work in the previous four weeks, declined to 19.4% from 24.7% a year ago. That came as job openings fell by 738,000 to 9.58 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The likelihood of switching jobs fell, dropping to 10.6% from 11% a year ago, while expectations of being offered a new job also declined, to 18.7% from 21.1%.
I’m in my thirties begging for more than 28,000/y
Seriously I should probably kill myself or become a martyr.
If you’re poor living paycheck to paycheck you essentially just exist to pay tax for war and death. …maybe a few roads if you’re in a predominantly wealthy area.
So for real… It’s more humble and respectable to kill myself then work to pay others to kill other people for me so I can have the “freedom” to be a slave for the war machine. The other choice is claw at and rape other people’s lives working the American game to get rich until I am able to ignore that the modern worlds still run on slavery and manipulation. no good options.
That’s why the youth are hungry to get at all the crooks. Politicians, mob criminals, CEO etc… They all represent the same evil and same tactics.
No one cares if you’re a street kinping or Jeff bezos. You are the enemy Of humanity full stop.
I just want to say, you’re not alone. Inflation is still charging ahead, groceries are expensive, daycare is expensive, and the news keeps saying it’s our fault. It’s not. You should get more than 28k. I don’t think anyone working full time should be below 50k plus benefits. If you are having a hard time making ends meet and feeling that pressure it changes how you see the world and how you see other people. It almost drove me mad.
I hope you find some support to get through the rough patch. Hang in there bro, we’re rooting for you too.
There’s no rough patch, man. This is it. This is the new reality.
The only thing stopping this train is outright revolt, and I don’t see that happening any time soon. Although, the more people get pushed to their limits, the more likely it becomes.
That’s why the powers that be are inflaming the two political sides against each other, so we have the second north vs south (figuratively) revolution instead of the more appropriate French Revolution.
Seems like getting a different job would be a lot easier than starting a violent revolt.
Like, that’s $14 an hr. Any call center will hire you at more than that. If you just actually go to work every day and try even remotely, you’ll be a supervisor in 6 months. Most of them won’t even drug test you.
Or like, you know, vote for a higher min wage and encourage others to do that too.
Just seems like a solvable problem to me. Violence being an inevitable outcome seems like a big stretch
🙏
Please do not become a martyr, there are tons of people that do this every day and unfortunately due to our shitty planet, their cries for help are dampened even after their passing.
I know life seems like it may suck really bad, believe me, I’ve been there, several times. Just hang in there, there is always an opportunity out of this shithole.
Life isn’t about money either, I myself have spent most of my life in poverty having to fight for what I’ve had. Think about the possessions you’d leave behind that money cannot buy. Friends, family, pets, memories. You can’t take what you physically own with you, but you can’t take those things either.
If you need someone to talk to, I am here for you. If you are in distress, please PLEASE seek professional help. I and many others love you and are very proud of you, and even if we do not know you and have never met, we would feel deep regret and sorrow for your loss.
I appreciate it 🙏
No problem, any decent human being should be willing to offer an ear. If you have anything that needs to be said, my messages are always open. Stay safe friend!
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You do get to play a me up man ship.
Your unnecessary details indicate a deep bitterness with several facets.
Person you are responding to wants to die and this is what you feel is an appropriate response.
You spread your misery because you want the world to feel your pain. Karma is at play.
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Deleted.
Why would you say this to someone contemplating suicide?
I am sorry for your situation, I truly am, but you don’t know what they are going through either. You did not do anything to help the situation, only exacerbate it. No shame.
Both these dudes are unwell, why are you expecting some sort of decorum from one of em?
This whole situation made me feel like shit and totally fucking ruined my day. That other guy deleted his comments. What he did was not right, but I really hope he is okay.
So I’m supposed to tolerate one person who is unwell attacking someone who is contemplating suicide?
“Suck it up, kid, it could be worse” helps no one, it only makes the situation worse. All that person hears is that it can get worse.
I’ve been in this situation in my life, I know exactly how it is. You cannot think clearly, but that does not give you the go ahead to try and make someone else’s pain seem trivial compared to your own. If I heard what that guy said to the person above when I was at my lowest, the taste of a barrel would have probably been the last thing I experienced before I ended my own life.
I’m not disabled, I’ve experienced much worse. I’ve had my life utterly destroyed in front of my very eyes. Imagine watching everything you know come to an end and as much as you’ve wanted to trade your own life for theirs, you cannot. I’ve watched childhood friends that I’ve known for twenty years die from fentanyl overdose, I’ve watched one of my closest and most special family members get hit by a bus, all while I barely had a pot to piss in. Unlike that guy, I didn’t have family to bail my ass out of a shitty situation. Had to do it on my own. The very thing that saved my life, was a random guy online that did the very thing that I’m trying to at least attempt to provide to the other person. Thanks to that guy, my life didn’t end with a swiss roll filled with lead.
I would never have tried to lessen someone else’s pain in the situation of that person above the guy we are talking about. Yeah, it sucks that you got hit by some jackass because you were in a shitty position, guess what?
it could be worse…
How do you think that makes him feel? That did nothing for me, and it did sure as shit nothing for him except possibly make him seethe, tough luck dude. Sorry he is so bitter, but yep, could be worse couldn’t it? Like that’s going to matter if the other guy just decides to eat lead or meet pavement.
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I am not pushing my morals on you, please do not make that mistake. Once again, I am sorry for the situation you are going through, I know I have said it many times but I really am being genuine, but there is a distinction between pushing morals and preventing needless destruction. Not everyone reacts to statements like that the same way. We have no idea how fragile the state that he is in. Most people do not even speak about it, I never told anyone about it until right when I was about to do it, and it was basically a manifesto telling this world how much I hated it and how everyone can go fuck themselves. Someone replied and I owe my life to them. I didn’t say people don’t feel alone, I said people are not alone. At my lowest point in life, I definitely felt alone, but I wasn’t, I understand what you meant.
I agree with a lot of what you said, just be more mindful. Like I said, I hate doing this because I know how you guys are feeling because I have also been there, but we all can strive to do better. Maybe I should have been more understanding of your situation, I am sorry if what I said seemed like an attack but your statement came off very blunt to me.
I am sorry for what I said and did, and I hope you can forgive me, I just didn’t want to see someone else hurt themselves. If you need someone to talk to then I am here for you as well. I will listen.
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Because that was not the intention behind your message, you made intentions very clear in the first word;
try
Nobody is alone, but what you said did not convey that message, your message was about “it could be worse, look what I’m going through”
I am truly sorry for your circumstances, and I hope your situation gets better, I really and truly do, but you need to either work on your communication skills, or you need to do some soul searching. I HATE doing this dude, it really fucking kills me because all I want is to at least the small ray of sunshine in everyone who I meets’ lives, but you really need to hear this.
People in need don’t need a why, they don’t need a comparison. People in need, need support.