*By Michael Teich*
Corporate shareholders may [benefit](https://money.cnn.com/2018/02/16/investing/stock-buybacks-tax-law-bonuses/index.html) from tax cuts, but American workers aren't really profiting, said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.
"It's globalization, the ability of employers to [replace labor](https://cheddar.com/videos/selerity-exec-a-i-in-finance-will-shift-from-consumers-to-workers) with technology," Hamrick said Friday in an interview with Cheddar. "Workers are not getting the bulk of these tax cuts. Workers have perhaps some appropriate reason to be a bit disappointed."
The Labor Department reported Friday that the unemployment rate in the U.S. dropped to 3.9 percent. But as unemployment falls, inflation is rising, and companies are squeamish about tariffs.
"Inflation has been running at an annual rate of about 2 percent, meaning that real wages are making little progress," Hamrick said.
Though average hourly earnings rose 2.7 percent for the second straight month, when inflation's factored in, workers are taking home less than a percent more in earnings.
Now is the time, Hamrick said, to save for retirement and emergencies.
The U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs in July, missing estimates of 193,000 but marking the 94th consecutive month of growth.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-reason-youre-not-getting-a-raise).
Spirit Airlines canceled about 100 flights on Friday after pulling some planes out of service for inspections, and the airline expects the disruptions to last several days.
CVS Health is pulling from its shelves some cough-and-cold treatments that contain an ingredient that has been deemed ineffective by doctors and researchers.
It's almost that time of year - it's open enrollment season. Nate Black, vice president of health solutions product development with Voya Financial, joined Cheddar News to explain the critical decision-making needed when choosing the best coverage for you and your family.
Tesla raised the price of its Model X plaid all-wheel drive model here in the U.S. by about 5.5%.
Elon Musk announced two new subscription tiers for people who want the premium experience. This, as some users in some countries may have to pay a very small fee to access the platform for more. Cheddar News' senior reporter Michelle Castillo explains.
A U.S. homebuyer must earn just over $114,000 to afford an average-priced home, according to a report from Redfin.
Several companies, including American Express, First Bancorp and Comerica, posted earnings Friday.
New research from Zillow finds more and more couples are adding a home fund to their wedding registries to help them buy their first home.
Rite Aid is set to close more than 100 stores with efforts currently underway to try to sell dozens of stores across a dozen states.
Social media platform X will soon have two new paid subscription tiers.
