This story was originally published on CFO.com. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO.com newsletter. With the number of unemployed workers now exceeding the number of available jobs for the first time since 2021, U.S. employers have left behind the historically high compensation budget increases that prevailed a few years ago. Employers are projecting an average salary budget increase of 3.5% for 2026, according to new research from Mercer. As recently as 2023, the correspon ...