Employees are expecting another pay raise this year on par with last, but the increase may be offset by rising inflation rates and lower bonuses tied to company performance. Raises are expected to come in at around 4.4% among high performers and 2% or less for more mediocre workers. However, inflation is rising at a hefty 5% rate, which means rising costs will eat up most of that extra income. Even high performing workers will likely still end up losing.

The exception to this pay rule appears to be workers that fill difficult-to-replace positions or those working in growing industries. Heathcare, government and education jobs are among those that can count on decent pay raises to offset rising inflation. Other industrials that aren't willing to issue raises may face troubles with retaining key talent, according to employment experts. Companies that get too far behind inflation risk upsetting their employees.

In the end, the American economy functions such that employees are rewarded for performance. With a bad economy overhanging, it is difficult to reach and surpass performance goals. However, Americans also do not like moving backwards in pay. This conflict may end up shaking up the American workforce over the next few months as the economy slowly begins to recover.