*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).
Best Buy lowered its sales outlook for the rest of the year despite a positive quarterly earnings report.
X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, is facing over 2,200 arbitration cases.
Google Flight added a new feature that tracks flight prices.
Businesses posted far fewer open jobs in July and the number of Americans quitting their jobs fell sharply for the second straight month, clear signs that the labor market is cooling in a way that could reduce inflation.
American Airlines said it was fined $4.1 million for keeping passengers on planes during long on-ground delays.
3M said it will pay $6 billion to settle lawsuits claiming that it sold defective earplugs to the U.S. military.
Meta said it disrupted a campaign of disinformation linked to Chinese law enforcement.
Buying your first home can be challenging with rising interest rates and other costs. Cheddar News spoke with Amira Elgoneimy, a premiere agent with Redfin who caters to the New Brunswick, NJ area, and Daryl Fairweather, chief economist with Redfin, about the process involved in purchasing a residence in a competitive market.
Experts from Redfin real estate brokerage explain the challenges buyers are experiencing as they try to buy their first homes.
The Biden administration is targeting the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications for Medicare's first-ever drug price negotiations as it seeks to lower medical costs for Americans.
