Have wages kept up with the cost of living during the last two decades?
454302
No, the federal minimum wage alone hasn't increased in 10 years. The division between the poor and rich is getting wider, with more low income at the bottom.
616446
Prices grew by over 40% 2 years in a row.  Now prices have stabilized and homes are staying on the market longer.  Prices have not dropped, but with inventory increasing, it will probably happen soon.
183425
That will depend on your preference (ie family, work, etc.).\n\nThe link will give you current information.
575131
Here you could find prices, but for 1980 and other years:\nhttp://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/01statab/prices.pdf#search='itemsprice1981'
1059180
Yes, I do.  The government expects people to survive so pay wages that we can survive on!  When I was in the 9th grade, minimum wage went from $3.85 to $4.25.  I've seen it rise slowly since, & I believe it's about $6.75 here in California.  You can't live on that, even if 2 parents are working for the same amount, especially after taxes.
937599
I believe the latest statistical method is to take the median UK wage of 330 UKP per week (just over 17,100 UKP per annum), and if your weekly income is around 60 percent of that figure (maybe a little above), then you are classed as living in Poverty. But if your weekly income is only 40 percent of the median amount of 330 UKP/wk, you are classed as living in Deep Poverty.   It can therefore be seen that  UK Senior Citizens, if not in posession of a company pension, are all living at or around the Deep Poverty level  - hence the X million of your question.   What an indictment of the 4th richest country in the World that it can not pay a decent pension to its older citizens; (have a look at the current  retirement pensions paid in places  like Sweden and Germany to understand that comment).  Still, our MPs continue to vote themselves huge pay rises and magificent pension increases - so that's all right then....
1131096
They are getting their usual wages
104619
You should type in "Cost of Living Calculator" on an internet search engine.  Then you can type in how much you make now and compare it to how much you would need to make in the new location to keep the same standard of living.
652302
iT'S STILL WORTH IT IN LOTS OF PLACES.\n\njOHN
973062
There is no specific formula...\n\nIt really depends on your goals and what lifestyle to expect to live.\nThere is also a health factor.  If you are a sickly person, then you'l expect your cost of living to increase.\n\nOverall, it could be more or less (inflation adjusted) than your current income...
339120
I doubt it.  There are many different ways to look at the economy.  One of them is the unemployment rate.  During the depression and the times leading up to it, our unemployment rate his 25% or so at its peak.\n\nRight now, we're actually doing better, as the unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing for the last few years.\n\nSee this chart: http://www.economagic.com/em-cgi/data.exe/feddal/ru\n\nAlso, if you go here: http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/nipaweb/TableView.asp#Mid\n\nGDP has been growing pretty steadily for the last few years, even after taking into account increase in the CPI for inflation.  The economy is actually relatively healthy right .  There's just a lot of big stories on the media because people are paying a lot for gas, so stories about a possible depression sell really well.
10714
I think that opportunities in computer technology in the US are still pretty great.  Pay in the US would obviously be more, but I imagine the cost of living would go up as well.  I think those who are skilled in your field can make a good living.
1121112
If you are referring to an increase in the minimum wage, It's long overdue. Some conservatives argue that purely economy-driven wages would be better, but those of us that know about corporate evil know that McDonalds would pay $2.00 an hour if it could get away with it.\n\nI'm a conservative, but a realistic one.
88486
higher than 3.9 in 2000
341338
there wasn't a huge cash economy back then, unless you're talking about cities but then was the same as now.  a house in new york in 1888 isn't going to cost the same as a house in nebraska in 1888
290926
The cost-of-living tends to increase the closer one gets to the oceans, and in urban areas. Cities bordering the ocean tend to be particularly high. New York or California would likely be at the top of such a list. \n\nYou may want to check out the cost-of-living wizard at salary.com
1023753
Yes, wages have declined since the mid 1990's when they were much higher.  Now, you can expect $15-$19/hr with 19 being very good.  The market is picking up a bit, but many jobs have gone overseas.  It is not a field where a job will just magically appear, but if you market yourself well, you will find a job.