The term “real” means the values are adjusted for inflation

This is research from a labor advocacy group, with the explicit aim of the organization to advocate for this sort of thing. This doesn't mean the research is is automatically invalid, but it is bias worth mentioning.

Looking at an article from the CATO institute, over the last 30 years wages have climbed 169 percent, while food prices 111 percent.

But an even better measure is PCE, or personal consumption index. Rather than CPI, or any other "household basics" measure, which subjectively categorize goods and then tracks those, PCE measures the total dollar amount spent by the entire U.S. consumer sector on goods and services. This is what is used by the FRED database referenced in the reply above.

https://www.cato.org/commentary/why-dire-pronouncements-abou...

They do have more money, less spending power.

I first saw the claim everything is hunky dory because workers are working fewer hours from a economist probably ten years ago. The idea is workers are choosing to work fewer hours and instead enjoy more leisure.

So to point out how inanely out of touch economists are.

The problem with that is the worker economic base unit is a family not one person. Now compare 1960-70s where one person in the household works 40 hours a week. Compare with a modern family where both parents are working a combined 70-80 hours a week.

So yeah workers are working slightly less hours and families as a unit substantially more.

> Meanwhile household basics increased faster than wages

Not what real means!