#inflation

downplaying inflation and saying unemployment is all time low. all i see and hear around the country are people getting laid off and cant afford to take care of their families

Housing costs in Houston are up so much since 2021. Really su-ks for those of us the company sent away and now expects to return. Meanwhile those who never leave Houston have their sweet low interest rate mortgages and bought their houses for half of what they cost today while complaining that expats make too much and Permian CLs are inflated.

Anyone else at BTC surprised to receive a mid year raise? My supervisor said that I had earned it with my performance and also due to the rising inflation here in India. I thought raises were only in January so this is a nice surprise as a new hire that my salary is increasing already.

If you factor in actual inflation, rather than the numbers the government reports, wages are falling rapidly.

And both political parties share the blame. We have an uniparty anyway.

Have you looked at the price of a new car lately? Or a refrigerator? Or even steak?

As inflation continues to rise, it would be great to see Centene consider a COLA (cost of living adjustment) to better support all their employees. Everything got more expensive except our paychecks…. People Leaders reading this, I’m sure you all need a COLA too!!! Help us!

what will the rest of the year look like?

Looking at 2026 and beyond….

AI making leaps and bounds, relentless offshoring, endless flood of H-1B Visas.

What is a American born man supposed to do to get ahead in life today when their either going to get laid off eventually or they already have with a jobs market that will just keep getting worse and worse with no “recovery” like we used to have in the past.

What’s going to happen to the men who have families to support and over 15+ years left on their Mortgages?

• Inflation is out of control
• American Birth rates are collapsing
• Young families are punished for having kids
• single family home prices are priced at clown world levels
• The purchasing power of the dollar is getting absolutely destroyed
• All of us who still have jobs are technically taking “yearly pay cuts” because even if you get a raise it’s sure as he-l not even keeping up with inflation.

UBI isn’t going to fix this. Alls you have to do is look back at history and see what it’s like for other countries when they live under “UBI” conditions (Cuba Today, Soviet Russia)

Late Roman Empire Vibes…

What the he-l is wrong with these people? Record stock price and then you go in and reduce our commission because of "inflation"?

Fu-k off

The upcoming week features several key labor market indicators. April's employment report is expected to show a solid increase in private payrolls and a lower unemployment rate. Other data points include ISM NM-PMI, which should confirm continued economic expansion, and a strong increase in revolving consumer credit. The Q1 earnings season continues with major companies reporting results. Inflation expectations are likely to jump due to higher gasoline prices.

https://m.za.investing.com/analysis/economic-week-ahead-adp-payrolls-layoffs-jobless-claims-to-shape-outlook-200619355?ampMode=1

Question for those late in their career. I expected my biggest raises to be early and at some point to max out and then just keep up with inflation. Has this been your experience? What age did you max out? Have your raises kept up with inflation or are you making less each year when considering inflation as you approach retirement age?

HOUSING
Property taxes in Houston remain a double-edged sword: while they fund essential local services in the absence of a state income tax, they are among the highest in the nation.

Surging property values are leading to higher overall tax bills.

Due to rising home prices and interest rates. Monthly mortgage payments have climbing 44% since 2021 not including increases in taxes and insurance. Few have received raises of a similar magnitude.

Beyond the purchase price, rising insurance premiums and climate-related costs (like flooding and extreme heat) are making homeownership increasingly expensive.

TRAFFIC
Houston traffic is increasingly viewed as unlivable, with commuters losing nearly four days annually to delays, a number that rose in 2026. It ranks among the worst in Texas, characterized by severe bottlenecks on I-45 and Loop 610, aggressive driving, and rapid sprawl, making it one of the least livable major US metros.

Especially with gas prices climbing. And since raises don't keep up with actual inflation, the rumored 5-day RTO would fit perfectly with their plan to push out as many of us as they can.

Updated - F, 4/10/26.

The Threat of Stagflation.

Energy prices are (not) coming down anytime soon -

• Energy prices will stay High for (months, or longer) due to numerous reasons from the U.S. Iran War.

The "peak" season for Energy is (Always) the Summer.

• Stagflation - High Inflation - Low Growth is a (Very serious) threat to the U.S. economy.

It the (current) trends continue (especially if Inflation is allowed to run) and the Fed doesn't raise Interest rates to control it is a Major recession > 2027.

• LEI - Leading Economic Index (the Chart).

  These are the facts.

The pay increases lately don’t come even close to match how expensive everything else has become. Think about it, we're effectively getting pay cuts instead of pay raises when you calculate in the increase in cost of living.

And I don't want to hear the "times are tough" excuse. We're not family. So can we stop pretending we are? I don't recall seeing any benefits when times were good.

They’ll say it’s better than nothing 2% across the board No incentive to go above and beyond Bonus should be good though Guess they just didn’t want any permanent base increases

The global energy system has entered a prolonged period of disruption following the Iran war, with no quick path back to normal conditions.

Damage to infrastructure, shuttered wells, and tangled supply chains have created lasting shortages of oil and natural gas. Even if the conflict were resolved immediately, the loss of production capacity and logistical breakdowns mean elevated energy prices are likely to persist for years rather than months.

Several top energy executives have voiced concern about the severity of the situation:

• Mike Wirth has warned that oil markets are not fully accounting for the real physical disruptions already underway, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.
• Vicki Hollub has emphasized efforts to reduce exposure to geopolitical risk, reflecting broader industry caution.
• Shaikh Nawaf Al-Sabah has highlighted that even when conditions stabilize, restarting production will take months due to shut-in wells.
  Their comments collectively underscore that the challenges are structural, not temporary.

The effects are spreading unevenly across the world, beginning in Asia where countries are already cutting energy use through emergency measures, and gradually moving toward Europe and beyond. A significant share of global oil and gas supply has been taken offline, forcing governments and industries to adapt through rationing, higher costs, and reduced activity. Unlike previous crises, this disruption involves physical damage to key facilities, making recovery slower and more complex while also contributing to rising inflation in major economies.

Industry leaders warn that markets may be underestimating how severe and long-lasting the situation could become, especially with critical chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz affected. While energy companies are currently benefiting from high prices, the underlying instability is unsustainable. Attention is shifting toward faster-to-deploy sources like U.S. shale, but emergency reserves are being depleted quickly, suggesting a future defined by tighter supply, structurally higher prices, and ongoing uncertainty in global energy markets.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/oil-shock-chevron-energy-stocks-4f65c8b1

2%?! WThey are pushing people to leave. We essentially just took a pay cut with inflation.

Mystic Seaport Museum eliminated 22 positions. Employees were informed of these layoffs on Tuesday. The museum cited long-standing financial challenges. Rising inflation and increased operating costs contributed to the decision. These cuts represent about 15 percent of the museum's 150-person staff.

Mystic, CT

https://patch.com/connecticut/stonington/mystic-cultural-institution-announces-layoffs-amid-financial-uncertainty

The scam continues with a 2026 pay raise less than inflation. Inflation caused by Aramco’s buddies to the north. In the last 10 years that leaves only 1, 2024, where Ali and the scammers beat inflation with a decent pay raise. Do yourself a favor if you’re still there and figure how much your salary has decreased when factoring inflation. And for anyone considering moving to the Toxic environment, offered both indoors and outdoors (worst air quality in the world), think about an avg 1-3% annual raise before stepping on the plane to the land of empty quarters…and empty promises.

So it's a record quarter for Dell. Fiscal Numbers are good and all that. I keep hearing from both Glassdoor and here that there's so much wrong with ISG and CSG. Idrac su-ks. Power scale su-ks. Objectscale su-ks. Dell networking su-ks. Telco su-ks. Dell says EMC su-ks and EMC says Dell su-ks. This su-ks. That su-ks.

Now I completely get that gutting the employee count, not keeping up with the inflation does do some help with the fiscal position of the company where they can showcase more dollars, raise the stocks, etc. however I can't believe that that alone is a factor of a healthy fiscal quarter. There has to be genuinely good products that the company does produce to actually meet or exceed the expectations of the quarter right ?

So it's not technically a 100% trash company like some posts make it out to be ?

If it's not actually bad, then what areas does Dell do well, realistically speaking ? What are some actual positives ?

I'm not HR or Jeff or Michael. I'm just a regular I-7 in ISG, late 20s in age, trying to get some sliver of optimism in this mad world.

SAVE YOUR MONEY! STAGFLATION - High Oil Prices, AI taking over jobs, Layoffs will occur earlier than later. Corporations will feel the pain with increase in inflation. Markets will decline for months. Just because the war stops doesn't mean things get back to normal right away. It will take years to recover and go back to normal. USA debt increases from $38 Trillion to $40 Trillion soon.

Many companies will pull forward their layoffs that were planned for later on the year (in the second half of 2026) to the first half of 2026 due to oil price increases and the cost of war, inflation causing everything to go up.
Save your money. Forget the vacation and brand name anything. Save enough money to pay your bills and put food on the table. AI was already taking jobs and now higher cost of OIL will also do the same.

RTO is going to really. hurt now. Glad the recent raise will be useless now.

Fed Interest rates -

Having studied the past several Major recessions (dotcom bust - Mar 2000 - Oct 2002, and 2008 GFC included), this is what I found.

When the Fed started cutting Interest rates (and kept it going) it signaled the start of a Major recession.

The (current) Fed quandary is rising Inflation which will get (Much worse) with the (new) 15.0% Trump Import tariffs, and the U.S. Iran War causing energy prices (both Oil, and LNG) to rise; which also affects both product; and food prices.

When the Fed started doing that it signaled the U.S. economy was in (Very serious) trouble.

LEI - Leading Economic Index (6 months out), and the CEI - Coincident Economic Index (current) the (True) state of the U.S. economy.

For the past several months, the LEI has (Consistently trended Down) and has fallen below the CEI; the chart shows that the U.S. economy should be (or is headed towards a Major recession) within 6 months; or so (if current trends continue).

U.S. GDP is (currently) being (manipulated positive) by spending - U.S. government, AI; and Healthcare; along with Fed stimulus.

These are the facts.

It surely will not even match inflation. Dell is cheap. Life is getting more expensive by the day. If you feel like you have less money, it's because you do. Raises will 100% not fix it.

Pay equity? That's a massive raise for the CEO and "meaningful increases" for low-mid rank salaries, but 2 years of 0% awards for director level and above.

HR said to focus on total comp but oh dear what's that you say cumulative inflation since Covid is nearly 30%? No time for any more questions I'm afraid.

Fourteen months ago, Frank Nazarro said if you were still here in a year, there would be some sort of grand reward.

What is this grand reward comprised of?

• Lived through a work nightmare for well over a year

• Congratulations for making Fannie's 10K mention Freddie as a "risk factor"

• The promise that gen AI will continue to replace non-Indians

• Indians only hiring other Indians. Those of european descent get to figure out how to apply for unemployment. Our children we struggled to put through college left to flip burgers, because Indians only hire other Indians

• A salary that is so far behind the REAL inflation (not the government adjusted bogus inflation), that some of us have begun juggling bills so we can still afford to put something in the basket at the grocery store

• THESE* are your grand rewards for getting Freddie Mac through the past year.

THANKS TRAITOR PULTE

Difficult to refinance one's home when one has been laid off. Freddie doesn't care, all the contractor backfills are 100% Indian. So Freddie saves money by laying off Americans. The contractors can be converted to full time in the future.

So many teams are 100% Indian. No remaining teams are 100% any race, but they still include a continually growing number of Indians.

Now, stand up, and give yourself a round of applause! Freddie Mac has put one over on the USA, and in the process, is helping to replace the working population of our Nation.

Anyone seen BPI yet? Curious to see if Stock together is really gone. No longer shows on open job reqs, VZ benefits external page or in Total rewards.

Will there actually be raises this year? Or will they give people nonsense like 1 or 2% and not keep up with inflation at all?

Has anyone had a pay raise that kept up with inflation?
You were making $100K in 2019 — now you earn $126K.

I heard a rumor that specialist will not get raises again this year, just the same b.s. bonuses like last year! Does anyone care about us not even keeping up with the economy? How rich do you need to be Marvin?

They don't even match inflation. With everything put together, morale is circling the drain. And do I trust them to find a competent CEO now? Absolutely not.

In the manufacturing and scientific sectors—relevant to Waters Corp's operational base—salary increases for 2026 are forecasted to hover around 3% to 4%,

Don't spend it all in one place. Lead with compassion like I do.

Heh?

Prosper Insights Finds Consumer Job Anxiety Up, Price Pressure Down

Prosper Insights & Analytics data reveals rising U.S. consumer job security concerns. This increase occurred over the past twelve months. Meanwhile, inflation-related spending pressure has eased. Their January 2026 survey shows 42% expect more layoffs. This is a significant rise from 32% reported last January.

https://www.tallahassee.com/press-release/story/19772/prosper-insights-analytics-data-shows-rising-job-concerns-over-past-year-as-inflation-pressures-ease/

U.S. Government needs the (future) Tax revenue from (New children) born in the U.S.

Since households are having less children over time.

In 2025, it was 1.6 children per household.

1946 - 1964 - Baby boomer generation it was 3.6 children per household.

Inflation expenses.

Chris: “we’ve had another stellar year. Recording breaking. Our strategy is firing on all cylinders.

Merit increases thus year will be 2.5%. Inflation is 6%. Yes, I know that your standard of living decreases every year you stay at TransUnion. But I’m not the chump. You are. Because you stay.

Sorry about that. All these first class airfares to fly around the world for dubious business benefit sure do add up. “

Divergence -

The U.S. economy, and the stock market; specifically the (AI) trade.

Paradox - AI (Valuations), and (Extreme) volatility; in the stock market.

Recent U.S. economic, and stock market observation(s) over the past week -

The AI trade is back (for now) after reporting from Micron (MU).

AI trade valuation(s) are (trying to make a run back) to the NASDAQ high on 10/29/25 whether justified (or not).

The U.S. economy is (still) moving towards a potential Major Recession in 2026.

The Unemployment rate has reached its' highest level since October 2021 with Corporate layoffs to resume Q1 2026 with claims following.

Q1 2026 is (currently) scheduled to have Major Downsizing in the Corporate world especially in the Technology sector.

ISM manufacturing, otherwise known as PMI; has been down for (9) consecutive month's; since Trump tariffs were enacted.

Finally, November Core CPI (Inflation) came in at 2.7% but was missing data from October due to the U.S. Government shutdown.

Inflation (actually) rose month-to-month.