To stop or slow down wage growth. If people are fearful of their economic positions, they’re more likely to stay in lower paying jobs, less likely to take risks like unionizing, and more likely to cope with shitty work environments. Large businesses are playing this game too, where you see layoffs happening all over the place while many of those same businesses record record profits. This keeps their workforces in fear for their livelihoods and makes them easier to keep in line.