Quote:
Originally Posted by Gridlock
I read through the charts and this one stuck out for me as well. I expected to see a downward trend on the chart. I think if you put this overlaid with cost of living in 2008 dollars, it may well tell a different story. Of course, cost of living is a hard one to judge, as what one person would include as a cost of living, others would say is frivolous.
|
Inflation should be a good approximation of cost of living, as inflation includes food and gas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gridlock
As well, I remember that stats was my favorite class, and you can hide all kinds of numbers in any "average" calculation.
I suspect that the median earnings would be a different graph, showing a larger portion of people making less, but the higher earners at the top are skewing the average. Gotta take graphs with a grain of salt. I found the vast majority to be informative as the general tone of all of them together is that things are getting real for lower and middle classes.
|
You can also pick on the word "income" as most wealth people don't earn traditional "income".
You definitely need to take the graphs with a grain of salt, as well as people's general tone. My grandparents showed me pictures of what growing up was like 5 decades ago, and we are much better off than they were, despite the tone that we think we are not.