The last few years have been very strong for the US labour market, as well as here in New Zealand. Unemployment has been extremely low, wage growth has been strong, and unions have negotiated some historic contracts. This labour market tightness has given workers, particularly those in lower-paid professions, bargaining power they haven’t had for decades. As a result, wage growth (in both the US as well as here) has been the strongest in at least 30 years. However, we’re starting to see a few cracks appear. What might this mean for inflation, interest rates, and the path of the economy?