Do markets and inflation not go hand-in-hand, although sometimes slightly out of step, like I thought they did?
In the long term, sometimes inflation is caused by employers being able to charge more for their products. If they can raise prices faster than their costs, then they'll be able to afford more folks to work, increasing demand in the labor pool, hence increasing labor prices (i.e. compensation).
Still, it can take several quarters for information about pricing to flow through the supply chain and impact wages.
cost of living is your total live cost including inflation. cost of labor is cost to hire replacement in the overall labor market.
most companies pay in each market based on cost of labor