Solid evidence of worker anxiety is virtually nonexistent, despite media accounts. Trade and immigration are largely positive factors for the U.S. economy. Unions face an uphill battle to maintain their current share of worker representation. Broad-based indicators of Americans' living standards show strong gains. Overstatement of inflation by the consumer price index distorts measures of real economic progress.
Total compensation is a much better measure of employee's pay than hourly earnings.
Increasing wage premiums for skill and education have created a growing wage gap. Most gains from raising the minimum wage do not go to the working poor. Middle class decline results largely from more families joining the upper income class. Upward income mobility provides opportunities for families that work. Material deprivation has declined markedly, while the official poverty rate remains stubbornly high.