For the first time in three years, Americans’ wages are no longer outpacing inflation.

April's consumer price index, a broad gauge of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, is forecast to reach an annual rate of 3.8%.

For the first time in three years, Americans’ wages are no longer outpacing inflation.

The consumer price index was expected to increase by 3.7% annually in April, according to the Dow Jones consensus.

American workers are now earning less in real terms, a threat to spending that has kept the economy humming.

The latest inflation report shows price increases for American consumers in April hit a three-year high, driven by a spike in the cost of gasoline. The Consumer Price Index, which…