Inflation yardstick changes wage picture

Pew says whether wages kept up with inflation depends on how pay and price changes are measured, not only on the paycheck number.

1. Frame 1Workers ask whether raises outran prices; Pew says the answer depends on the inflation measure under the paycheck.
2. Frame 2The ledger starts with nominal weekly pay: $482 in late 1999, $1,040 in late 2025.
3. Frame 3A price-board gate converts pay into real wages by subtracting inflation from the bigger paycheck.
4. Frame 4The data path changes with three rules: wage definition, worker group, and inflation yardstick.
5. Frame 5One worked example isolates the inflation yardstick; Pew says that switch can significantly alter the long-run picture.
6. Frame 6The failure mode is measurement confusion: change the yardstick, and the same raise can read differently.