US workers’ real average hourly wages fell 0.5% in April, eroding purchasing power.
The 3.8% year-over-year inflation rate is outpacing wage growth for the first time in three years.
Soaring energy and food prices are accelerating inflation, affecting Americans’ standard of living.
On Tuesday, May 12, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics dropped the kind of number that resets every portfolio conversation: April 2026 headline CPI came in at 3.8% year-over-year — the hottest annual print since May 2023, and a sharp jump from 3.3% in March. Monthly prices rose 0.6%. Core CPI (stripping out food and energy) climbed to 2.8%, also above forecasts.
The driver isn’t a mystery. The energy index alone jumped 17.9% over the past 12…
