---
title: "Inflation surge erases wage gains for first time since 2023"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286227888.md"
description: "Inflation has outpaced wage growth for the first time since 2023, with real wages falling 0.2% year-over-year as of April. The disruption of oil exports due to the Iran war has led to increased fuel costs, contributing to higher prices for food, housing, and transportation. This rising inflation, coupled with a stable labor market, presents a dilemma for the Federal Reserve regarding interest rate decisions, with some analysts predicting a higher likelihood of rate hikes in 2026."
datetime: "2026-05-13T09:01:18.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286227888.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286227888.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286227888.md)
---

# Inflation surge erases wage gains for first time since 2023

Wages lose ground: April data shows real wages fell 0.2% year-over-year as inflation outpaced pay growth for the first time since 2023. Energy shock ripple: The Iran war’s disruption of oil exports has pushed up fuel costs, feeding into higher prices for food, housing, and transportation. Fed policy dilemma: Rising inflation with a stable labor market complicates decisions on interest rates, with some analysts seeing higher odds of rate hikes in 2026.

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