The Daily Money: Americans bailing on big cities

Good morning! It's Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

Last week, while reporting a story on errors in credit reports, I went online and read my own. Turns out the credit agencies have (at least) eight versions of my name. Here's what else I found. (And see the companion story in the bullet points below.)

It was a busy weekend. Here are two other stories you may have missed.

Why Americans keep leaving big cities

In 2022, places like Manhattan and Atlanta, which had become ghost towns during the pandemic, began seeing more people moving back, raising hopes for a resurgence of the nations’ largest cities.

But the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures show the revival was short-lived, Paul Davidson reports. Americans have continued to flee large metro areas in massive numbers as remote work becomes entrenched.

Which big cities are the biggest losers?

High-wage remote jobs fade

Higher pay requires higher commitment, Medora Lee reports, and that includes showing up at the office every day.

After looking at more than a half-million jobs posted over the past year, Ladders found remote and hybrid jobs paying at least $250,000 annually plummeted by 95% and 60%, respectively. Only about 4% of these quarter-million-dollar jobs are fully remote, down from 10% a year ago.

Return-to-office is a rude awakening for millions of Americans who were forced to go remote or hybrid during the pandemic and discovered the benefits of work-from-home status. 

Is your remote job safe?

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🍔 Today's Menu 🍔

Across the nation, inflation has taken a bite out of the fast-food experience. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that prices in "limited-service restaurants" have increased by 47% since 2014.

A team of brave USA TODAY reporters surveyed combo meal prices from across the country for five major hamburger chains.

Here's what they found.

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.