• 846 days Will The ECB Continue To Hike Rates?
  • 847 days Forbes: Aramco Remains Largest Company In The Middle East
  • 848 days Caltech Scientists Succesfully Beam Back Solar Power From Space
  • 1,248 days Could Crypto Overtake Traditional Investment?
  • 1,253 days Americans Still Quitting Jobs At Record Pace
  • 1,255 days FinTech Startups Tapping VC Money for ‘Immigrant Banking’
  • 1,258 days Is The Dollar Too Strong?
  • 1,258 days Big Tech Disappoints Investors on Earnings Calls
  • 1,259 days Fear And Celebration On Twitter as Musk Takes The Reins
  • 1,261 days China Is Quietly Trying To Distance Itself From Russia
  • 1,261 days Tech and Internet Giants’ Earnings In Focus After Netflix’s Stinker
  • 1,265 days Crypto Investors Won Big In 2021
  • 1,265 days The ‘Metaverse’ Economy Could be Worth $13 Trillion By 2030
  • 1,266 days Food Prices Are Skyrocketing As Putin’s War Persists
  • 1,268 days Pentagon Resignations Illustrate Our ‘Commercial’ Defense Dilemma
  • 1,269 days US Banks Shrug off Nearly $15 Billion In Russian Write-Offs
  • 1,272 days Cannabis Stocks in Holding Pattern Despite Positive Momentum
  • 1,273 days Is Musk A Bastion Of Free Speech Or Will His Absolutist Stance Backfire?
  • 1,273 days Two ETFs That Could Hedge Against Extreme Market Volatility
  • 1,275 days Are NFTs About To Take Over Gaming?
Is The Bull Market On Its Last Legs?

Is The Bull Market On Its Last Legs?

This aging bull market may…

What's Behind The Global EV Sales Slowdown?

What's Behind The Global EV Sales Slowdown?

An economic slowdown in many…

How The Ultra-Wealthy Are Using Art To Dodge Taxes

How The Ultra-Wealthy Are Using Art To Dodge Taxes

More freeports open around the…

  1. Home
  2. Markets
  3. Other

Average Hourly Wages vs. CPI: Are You Ahead?

Average hourly earnings for all employees unexpectedly declined 0.2%, $0.06 per hour in December vs. November. This was the largest month-to-month percentage drop since the data series began in 2006.

The following charts will help put wages in perspective, on an annual basis (percent change in wages vs. wages the same month a year ago).


Average Wages All Private Employees

Average Wages All Private Employees


Average Wages Production and Nonsupervisory Workers

Average Wages Production and Nonsupervisory Workers


Average Wage Increase Minus CPI

Average Wage Increase Minus CPI


No Benefit From Inflation

Economists tout the benefits of inflation. The idea is nonsensical.

Wages vs. the CPI are up 0.88% vs a year ago, but wages minus the CPI have spent more time in negative territory than positive territory since June 1973!

Moreover, please note the CPI does not take into consideration property taxes, income taxes, payroll taxes (social security, disability, unemployment), debt service, or various fees. The above numbers are even worse than they look.

I repeat my challenge to Keynesians: "Prove Rising Prices Provide an Overall Economic Benefit".

 

Back to homepage

Leave a comment

Leave a comment