CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CNBC is taking a look at the latest jobs data and trying to paint a picture of what workers can expect in this new year. Writers and researchers say it's a tale of two cities: the haves and the have-nots.
What it means is people who are currently employed can look forward to job security, but those who are still looking for work may have a harder time finding it.
CNBC's researchers say they came to this conclusion by paying attention to hiring and layoff trends. Both hiring and layoffs slowed down at the end of last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
But there's another factor at play too: inflation.
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CNBC explained what inflation and rising interest rates have to do with your job. When the economy started to recover coming out of the pandemic, which saw more people buying more things and getting back to work, employers needed workers.
That need allowed people to quit their jobs and usually find something better and for higher pay. It led to wage growth the country hadn't seen in decades, but it also brought fear that businesses would have to raise the prices of products to pay for those higher salaries.
Researchers say, however, they haven't seen that play out just yet.
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