Why you should always adjust for inflation

This chart shows why no economic statistic is valid unless an adjustment is made to allow for the effects of inflation.

If you just look at income in terms of dollars, the American middle class has not done all that badly in the 21st century.

If you look at what those dollars will buy (setting aside the question of whether the CPI underestimates the true cost of living), the figures tell a different story.

For the context of the chart, click on Rising Inequality: Recovery Driven Almost Entirely by the Rich by “Gaius Publius” for the Center for Media and Democracy

Tags: Economic Trends, Inflation, Inflation Adjustment, Median Household Income, Median Household Income Trend