*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).
Allison Pohle, reporter at The Wall Street Journal, breaks down airline chaos, surprise winners, and what the latest rankings mean for your next flight.
Jason Chinnock discusses Ducati’s 100th anniversary, blending a century of racing heritage with innovation, off-road expansion, and plans for the next 100 years
Jasmine Sun on unregulated peptides moving from fringe biohacking to Silicon Valley mainstream, promising healing, focus, and optimization with little oversight
For Trump, markets matter more than polls. Luke Broadwater, White House correspondent for The New York Times, examines how Wall Street guides decisions.
As political and economic uncertainty rises, Americans are seeking second passports and golden visas. Latitude Group’s CEO explains what’s driving the surge.
