Boston Globe, October 2022
John Bjorklund’s savings account is shrinking. Alex Bonifaz worries about skyrocketing heating oil costs. Rose White is delaying replacing the leaky roof on her house.
All three work for the Boston nonprofit 2Life Communities, where nearly everyone got raises in April — some at higher rates than normal. But soaring inflation has eroded those increases, wiping them away completely in some cases, as it has for workers across the country. Prices have gone up 8.3 percent on average over the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index, and for some essential items it’s far higher — eggs are up nearly 40 percent, for instance — putting an especially large burden on lower-income workers. The inability to get ahead is further fueling worker frustration at a time when people are quitting their jobs at record rates.
