Real Wages Keep Pace with Inflation Despite Pandemic Disruptions
• 57% of American workers earned higher inflation-adjusted wages in the past year • Real wages for a typical worker are about the same as expected with no pandemic • Median hourly wage has increased 45 cents per hour after inflation • Even with 20% price increase since 2019, wages for a typical worker are up 23% • Inflation has eased from 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.1% in November