Raw Data: Incomes of Wage and Salary Workers

Here’s the latest from the president’s Council of Economic Advisers:

Here is a look at the strong growth in wages we are seeing for the middle class and lower-income, per Chairman Hassett’s interview on @AliVelshi. pic.twitter.com/H6qh8r6egg

— CEA (@WhiteHouseCEA) March 1, 2019

It goes without saying that this is misleading. After all, it’s from the White House. If you’re interested in actual wage growth—i.e., adjusted for inflation—here it is:

The last quarter of 2018 was pretty good, but it’s the only quarter of decent wage growth in the past year. Here’s the same chart for blue-collar (i.e., production and nonsupervisory) workers:

This is supposedly Trump’s base, and he’s done nothing for them. He talks a good game, but that’s all.