Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability

<div class="header alignfull header--article has-background has-tonal-black-background-color"> <div class="header__layout"> <div class="header__content"> <h1 class="header__title has-h2-variant">Resource Roundup</h1> <p class="has-h3-variant wp-block-paragraph">Wages and Affordability</p> <div class="header__metadata"><div class="header__metas"><div class="header__meta header__meta--date"> October 30, 2026</div></div></div> <div class="header__metadata"><div class="header__metas"><div class="favorite-block"> <button class="favorite" data-id="323187" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" /></svg></button></div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--taxonomy header__meta--tax-category"> Blog Posts</div> <div class="header__meta header__meta--taxonomy header__meta--tax-program_tax"> <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a></div></div></div> </div> </div> <figure class="header__media" role="presentation"> </figure> </div> <div class="wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-a59044aa wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="padding-top:0;padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-bottom:0;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);flex-basis:25%"> <div style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-left:0;margin-right:0" class="post-people"> <div class="post-people__person"> <figure class="post-people__headshot"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="200" height="300" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8DF1610B-604F-4854-87C7-DD80CC272B58_1_105_c-200x300.jpeg" class="attachment-mobile size-mobile" alt="" srcset="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8DF1610B-604F-4854-87C7-DD80CC272B58_1_105_c-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8DF1610B-604F-4854-87C7-DD80CC272B58_1_105_c-533x800.jpeg 533w, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8DF1610B-604F-4854-87C7-DD80CC272B58_1_105_c-450x675.jpeg 450w, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8DF1610B-604F-4854-87C7-DD80CC272B58_1_105_c-451x676.jpeg 451w, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8DF1610B-604F-4854-87C7-DD80CC272B58_1_105_c.jpeg 724w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </figure> <div class="post-people__info"> <h3 class="post-people__name"> <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/maxwell-johnson/" class="post-people__link"> Maxwell Johnson </a> </h3> <p class="post-people__position"> Senior Research Associate </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-column has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;flex-basis:50%"> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Most Americans feel the good life escaping them. Less than half of Americans earn enough to live the way they want, according to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/">a survey</a> by Pew Research Center, and a quarter can’t afford their monthly bills. Inflation is set to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paycheck-raise-increase-inflation-prices-president-trump-2026-10">largely erase</a> workers’ pay gains over the past two years. Given these figures, it’s no surprise that affordability is the watchword of this election season.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Wage growth <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/wage-suppression-in-10-charts/">hasn’t kept up</a> with productivity growth for decades. Pre-pandemic wage increases for low- and middle-wage workers outpaced rises in the cost of some basic expenses, like groceries and electricity. But grocery prices spiked during the Covid years and remained high, while electricity prices began to rise much faster than wages, according to <a href="https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/policy-brief/way-we-were-price-level-shocks-and-consumers-memories">research</a> released by Stanford. Following the pandemic, wages and incomes rose neck and neck with the consumer price index, a measure that tracks changes in the cost of everyday goods. In other words, as workers’ pay went up, life just got that much more expensive.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Homeownership and higher education, long mainstays of the American Dream, have been drifting out of reach for decades. Growth in the <a href="https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/policy-brief/way-we-were-price-level-shocks-and-consumers-memories">average earnings</a> of low- and middle-income workers is well below that of housing prices. The median <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/news/economists-outlook/how-nar-research-collects-first-time-buyer-data-and-why-it-matters">first-time home buyer</a> now makes the purchase at 40 years old, compared with 29 in 1987. And in-state <a href="https://us.list-manage.com/IKw7omQMb9E?e=fe51f682ad&amp;c2id=ee02edc01d89706f8c6f905a52da467d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tuition</a> at a public university costs on average twice as much after inflation as it did in 1995. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/poll-dramatic-shift-americans-no-longer-see-four-year-college-degrees-rcna243672">Most Americans</a> no longer think college is <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/712748/americans-say-four-year-colleges-affordable.aspx">worth the cost</a>.  </p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Finally, the multifront trade war continues to hit wallets hard. <a href="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2026/02/who-is-paying-for-the-2025-u-s-tariffs/">Research</a> <a href="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2026/10/how-fast-do-tariffs-pass-through-into-consumer-prices/">published</a> by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that consumers bear the burden of higher tariffs through price increases. Producers reliant on global supply chains face higher production costs, which mean higher prices when goods hit the market. As companies exposed to tariffs raise prices, pressure on domestic producers to keep prices down lessens, and they in turn hike prices, doubly hurting consumers.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">This edition of Resource Roundup looks at affordability through the eyes of workers. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/">Read new survey data</a> from Pew Research Center on American households’ difficulties making ends meet, <a href="https://fedcommunities.org/research/2026-report-when-every-dollar-counts/">hear about low-income workers’ experiences</a> in the economy from Fed Communities, and <a href="https://tcf.org/content/report/half-of-every-dollar-how-household-debt-eats-into-workers-income-gains/">learn about workers’ growing debt</a> burdens from the Century Foundation.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)"/> <div class="wp-block-group is-style-contour-lines has-primary-light-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c17e56a1 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="border-width:4px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall)"> <p id="h-we-want-to-make-sure-that-resource-roundup-meets-your-interests-if-you-have-feedback-or-suggestions-please-contact-maxwell-johnson-aspeninstitute-org" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">We want to make sure that Resource Roundup meets your interests. If you have feedback or suggestions, please contact: <a href="mailto:maxwell.johnson@aspeninstitute.org">maxwell.johnson@aspeninstitute.org</a>.</p> <p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0" class="wp-block-paragraph">We&#8217;d love to hear from you. </p> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)"/> <h2 id="h-pew-research-center" class="wp-block-heading has-h5-variant" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0">Pew Research Center </h2> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/">Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities</a></p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Americans are having trouble finding the money for basic expenses, Pew Research Center has found. Over the past year, more than 40% of all Americans, including over 70% of low-income earners, visited a food bank or struggled to pay for medical care, transportation, or housing. Though Americans tend toward optimism, a sense of being financially stuck is common.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">The sentiment that things aren’t going right spans partisan divisions. More than half of those who identify with the Republican or Democratic parties told Pew that they don’t earn enough to live the life they want, and about half say that they don’t have the emergency savings to cover three months of expenses. Given this, affordability may well remain a salient force in American politics for years to come.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)"/> <h2 id="h-phenomenal-world" class="wp-block-heading has-h5-variant" style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0">Fed Communities</h2> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://phenomenalworld.org/analysis/constructions-data-center-gamble/"><a href="https://fedcommunities.org/research/2026-report-when-every-dollar-counts/">When every dollar counts: Inside the economic struggles of workers who earn low to moderate incomes</a></a></p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">A June report by Fed Communities, an initiative of the 12 Federal Reserve banks, shed light on the squeeze felt by households earning less than the US median, roughly $85,000. In focus groups, workers described pay that didn’t keep pace with the rising cost of living. By the time that the wage increases of recent years reached them, inflation accelerated, stripping away any gains.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Some kept a hopeful eye out for opportunities for upward mobility, but the main focus was on “survival.” Job opportunities were few. And the time and money crunch of getting by day to day put longer-term investment in continuing education and skills development out of reach.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">The workers interviewed aren’t expecting to get rich, researchers noted. They simply hope to earn enough to get by.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)"/> <div class="wp-block-group has-border-color has-primary-light-border-color is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c17e56a1 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="border-width:4px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall)"> <h2 id="h-a-tech-perspective" class="wp-block-heading has-kicker-variant"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-light-color">EOP Event</mark></h2> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Pricing algorithms are shifting our economy to one where consumers are regularly gouged to their last dollar. <a href="https://groundworkcollaborative.org/">Groundwork Collaborative</a> CEO Lindsay Owens traces the origins of corporate profiteering, examines today’s situation, and offers a path forward in her new book, <em>Gouged: The End of a Fair Price — and What That Means for Your Wallet</em>.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/gouged-a-book-talk-with-lindsay-owens/">Join us</a> on Tues., Dec. 8, for a talk with Owens and EOP senior fellow Natalie Foster on predatory pricing. &nbsp;</p> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)"/> <h2 id="h-urban-institute" class="wp-block-heading has-h5-variant">The Century Foundation</h2> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.urban.org/research/publication/most-americans-do-not-want-data-center-their-area-how-can-policymakers-better"><a href="https://tcf.org/content/report/half-of-every-dollar-how-household-debt-eats-into-workers-income-gains/">Half of Every Dollar: How Household Debt Eats Into Workers’ Income Gains</a></a></p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Workers who can’t make ends meet take on debt to fill the gap. An analysis by the Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers, an advocacy group, found that household debt payments have grown almost 15% since 2022, while income grew less than 2%. Debt is highest in states with the lowest household incomes. And when the typical worker gets a raise, the majority of the increase is eaten away by debt payments.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">For low-income workers, car payments are the largest burden, accounting for around 45% of consumer debt. The rising cost of new and used cars, compounded by a lack of viable public transit in much of the country, means these workers have little alternative to taking on the expense.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Debt keeps workers stuck in bad quality jobs and makes it hard for them to fight to improve conditions, the authors argue. Threatening to quit or striking provides workers bargaining power. But the bills don’t stop, and workers may worry they’ll lose their jobs if they begin to organize, putting them in a bind.</p> <p style="margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small)" class="wp-block-paragraph">Given Americans’ rising debt burdens, incorporating these payments into our pantheon of economic indicators could provide a clearer portrait of how workers are faring.</p> </div> <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--small);flex-basis:25%"> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7951c51d wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xsmall)"> 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</div> </div> <div class="dyn-card"> <div class="dyn-card__wrap"> <div class="dyn-card__media"> <figure class="dyn-card__image"> <a class="dyn-card__image-link" href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/resource-roundup-the-head-and-heart-of-economic-policy/" tabindex="-1"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="844" src="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-2249964753-1500x844.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Resource Roundup: The Head and Heart of Economic Policy" style="object-position: 50% 50%" /> </a> </figure> <div class="dyn-card__label"> <span class="has-meta-variant">Blog Posts</span> </div> </div> <div class="dyn-card__content"> <h2 class="dyn-card__title has-h5-variant"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/resource-roundup-the-head-and-heart-of-economic-policy/">Resource Roundup: The Head and Heart of Economic Policy</a></h2><p class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__date"><button class="favorite" data-id="178927" data-state="" title="Favorites are not currently available" disabled><span class="favorite__on">Unfavorite</span><span class="favorite__off">Favorite</span><svg class="svg svg--svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark" role="img" focusable="false" height="15" width="11"><use xlink:href="#svg-assets-svg-icon-bookmark"/></svg></button><time>March 31, 2026</time></p><ul class="dyn-card__meta dyn-card__people"><li class="dyn-card__person"><a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/maxwell-johnson/">Maxwell Johnson</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-wash-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <div class="wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h2 id="h-about-resource-roundup" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">About Resource Roundup</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Economic Opportunities Program&#8217;s <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/series/resource-roundup/">Resource Roundup</a> newsletter is an editorial take on the latest articles and reports that shape our thinking on economic opportunity. <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/connect/">Click here to subscribe.</a></p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-light-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)"> <div class="wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <h2 id="h-about-the-economic-opportunities-program" class="wp-block-heading has-h4-variant">About the Economic Opportunities Program</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Aspen Institute <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/">Economic Opportunities Program</a> advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.</p> </div> </div> <p>The post <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/resource-roundup-wages-and-affordability/">Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org">Aspen Institute</a>.</p>