Is Your Income Keeping Up In the Growing US Economy?
Sunday December 9, 2018

Based upon the US Government’s “second” estimate of Q3 2018 GDP published in late November, StayingEven.com’s revised estimate of the Q3 year-to-date Staying Even Index remains at 4.4%, up from the Q2 year-to-date reading of 4.3%, as year-on-year nominal GDP growth accelerated for the fourth quarter in a row.

This reading is significantly higher than the reported 2.5% year-to-date year on year increase in the average consumer price index (CPI) through Q3, demonstrating that wages that increase with inflation/COLA are not nearly sufficient to keep up in the growing U.S. economy. The YTD 4.4% increase in the Staying Even Index (SEI) is based upon reported Q3 year-to-date nominal year on year GDP growth of 5.2% and population growth of 0.7%.

These projections suggest that individuals whose 2018 total income from all sources through Q3 grew by more than 4.4% from 2017 expanded their adjusted share of the U.S. economy, and those whose total income grew by less than this fell behind compared to the prior year. The SEI has accelerated in 2018; SEI growth for calendar year 2017 was 3.4%.

StayingEven.com will publish updates to these figures as GDP and population estimates are revised. We are dedicated to helping individuals understand what income growth is required to keep up in the U.S. Economy.

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To find out whether you have gotten ahead, try our Staying Even Calculator, and to learn more about the Index, visit us at StayingEven.com. You can also follow us @stayingeven on Twitter.