DROPPING JEWELS: GO GET THAT RAISE!

Let’s talk about that raise you keep thinking about. Nobody is coming to reward you just because you been quietly grinding. You gotta advocate for yourself. Straight up.

Start with your homework. Know what your role pays in the market. Then document your wins. The numbers. The results. The things you improved. That is your case, and you need it airtight.

Here is why it matters. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index for June 2026 says wages and salaries went up 3.2 percent over the past year for civilian workers. Sounds good, right? But inflation ate it up. Private industry workers actually lost 0.4 percent in real pay. So if you sat quiet, you went backward. Most companies only budget 3 to 5 percent for raises anyway. You want more than the crumbs? You gotta ask.

Now let’s keep it real. People who negotiate average an 18.83 percent bump. But 76 percent of them are men. Only 24 percent women. And Pew Research says women still make 85 cents on the dollar. Ladies, that gap closes when you speak up.

So do it right. Schedule a real meeting for this conversation. Do not ambush your boss in the hallway talking about your money. That is a no. Set the time. Come correct.

Then practice saying your number out loud before you walk in that room. Confidence carries just as much weight as your case. Glassdoor found over 70 percent of hiring managers already expect you to negotiate. They waiting on you.

Worst they can say is not yet or plain no. But you never know if you don’t ask.

Me? I’m practicing. One million dollars. One million dollars. Come on, Hatta. I’m gon’ keep practicing.

Catch Dropping Jewels with The Madd Hatta weekdays at 5:26 on Majic 102.1.

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