OECD Employment Outlook 2026: real wages still lag and young people struggle to get in

What’s happening

In about one third of OECD countries, real wages are still below early-2021 levels, and real wage growth slowed to 2.2% in early 2026 from 2.7% a year earlier. The OECD warns that this year's energy price shock adds pressure, and that young people and recent graduates face hard entry conditions.

What to do

Treat financial stress as a priority in 2027 wellbeing plans, especially for lower-paid and early-career employees.

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