Sticky wage norms and the real wage cost of unexpected inflation

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• Hacker News
• I haven't had a pay raise since about 2021 so yes, that makes sense. Purchasing power is definitely down.
  by diogenescynic
• The paper only mentions total compensation as: "total compensation (base wages plus bonuses)"

  Total compensation includes stock options, stock grants, health insurance premiums, 401k contributions, so-called "employer social security contributions", retirement contributions, time off with pay, etc. Total compensation averages 146% of wages.

  This is not a triviality.

  The paper doesn't cover this, and so the conclusions don't have merit.

  by WalterBright
• Inflation is not just an increase in prices, it's basically a money pump. Under weakened labor it is redistribution from workers to the parasite class.
  by kilna
• So 63% didn't. I wonder what the average netted out to. Increase or decrease and how much?
  by missedthecue
• I guess RSUs aren't really "real wages" but mine vested over four years to the extent that by the time I left they were worth barely 25% of what they had been when I signed the offer. Happened over time, too, so quarterly vests took a decent hit in that timeframe.
  by spike021
• What 2021-2024?

  Check the prices of the flagship 1975 Ferrari, the flagship 1975 Hasselblad camera, or, I don't know, a 1975 Cessna 182 in reference to median 1975 household income.

  Then check it again for 2026.

  Oh, but we have GPS, Amazon Prime, and doomscrolling now.

  Thanks, I'd rather take the Cessna.

  by sssilver
• Would love to see this calculated in high cost of living areas (NY, CA), pretty sure some people have seen 20% wage declines since covid (in terms of how far your income goes)
  by mikert89
• The other interesting finding here is that only 57% of these "job stayers" beat or matched inflation, while 43% suffered a real wage cut. A huge chunk of the people who's wages beat inflation only did so due to job hopping
  by culi