How well have employer-provided benefits kept up with pay?

Have benefits increased at a faster rate than earnings? Let's examine the data and see.

By Frederic Slade | April 22, 2019 at 07:50 AM

hand with cash flying to another person's hand

It has been well documented that growth in average employee pay in the United States has struggled to keep up with inflation. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that from 2013-2018, average weekly earnings after inflation (real earnings) increased at only a 1.2% annualized rate.

That is, while inflation has averaged 1.5% annually over the 2013-18 period, wages and salaries have increased by 2.7% per year, a 1.2% difference.

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