*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).
A federal survey found that 60% of Americans say they have a hard time obtaining a loan or morgtage as well as a credit card.
New federal data shows that household wealth in the U.S. has broken a record, reaching $154.3 trillion in the second quarter.
Tuesday is National Video Games Day. John Biggs, editor of Knapsack News and host of the 'Keep Going' podcast, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to save money on your favorite games.
Childcare centers were given funds during the pandemic to help them stay open but those funds are now expiring which could affect tens of thousands of centers. David Peters, CPA and founder of The David Peters Financial Group, joined Cheddar News to explain the changes that are coming and how to save on child care.
'The Little Mermaid' got 16 million views on Disney+ so far after being released earlier this month.
McDonald's said it would eliminate self-serve soda machines by 2032.
Online prices just saw their biggest drop in three years, according to new data.
U.S. small business sentiment dropped in August, for the first time since April.
Bloomingdale's named Olivier Bron its new chief executive, replacing Tony Spring, who will become CEO of Macy's.
Apple's 'Wonderlust' event will kick off Tuesday to showcase its newest products, including the iPhone 15 while Google is facing a federal antitrust lawsuit. Meanwhile, TikTok is rolling out ecommerce on its app.
