{"id":2343232,"date":"2024-09-19T07:30:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T11:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/census-workers-havent-seen-a-raise-since-trump-was-potus\/"},"modified":"2024-09-19T07:32:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T11:32:17","slug":"census-workers-havent-seen-a-raise-since-trump-was-potus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/census-workers-havent-seen-a-raise-since-trump-was-potus\/","title":{"rendered":"Census: Workers Haven&#8217;t Seen A Raise Since Trump Was POTUS"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcensus-workers-havent-seen-a-raise-since-trump-was-potus%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2343232&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The text discusses the economic situation of Americans four \u200cyears after the Obama administration. It draws a parallel between a\u200c famous debate moment from 1980,\u2062 where Ronald \u2062Reagan questioned the state of American\u2063 prosperity under Jimmy Carter, and a recent\u2062 debate query aimed at Kamala Harris, which asked \u2063whether Americans are better off now compared to\u2063 four years ago. Although the Census Bureau&#8217;s annual report indicated\u200d a slight increase in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/median-household-income-fell-in-2022-adjusted-for-inflation-census-says\/\" title=\"Census reports decline in real median household income in 2022.\">real median household income<\/a> for 2023, it remained\u200c below pre-pandemic levels from 2019, showing that many households have missed out on substantial \u2062income opportunities over the past \u2063four years. The \u2062report highlighted a cumulative loss of $7,870 in household income compared\u200b to what it could have been \u200cif it had\u200c remained at 2019 \u2063levels. Additionally,\u200b the findings revealed that even higher-income households have felt economic stagnation. \u200cThe document suggests that continued government policies under Biden have contributed to a decline in purchasing \u200dpower and the \u2062growing dependence on government\u2063 aid, raising questions about \u200cthe effectiveness of the current economic strategy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>One of the seminal moments of presidential debates came in a 1980 tussle between the Republican challenger and the Democrat incumbent. Challenging Jimmy Carter&rsquo;s record as part of his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rU6PWT1rVUk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">closing statement<\/a>, Ronald Reagan asked: &ldquo;Are you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Last Tuesday, in the very first question of her first presidential debate, Kamala Harris was asked that very thing &mdash; are Americans better off than they were four years ago? &mdash; and didn&rsquo;t give a direct answer. But earlier in the day Tuesday, the Census Bureau provided the answer for her: No, they aren&rsquo;t.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2024\/income-poverty-health-insurance-coverage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">annual census reports<\/a> on poverty, income, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/american-booksellers-association-implements-new-oversight-to-prevent-accidentally-promoting-authors-like-candace-owens\/\" title=\"American Booksellers Association Implements New \u2018Oversight\u2019 To Prevent Accidentally Promoting Authors Like Candace Owens\">health insurance coverage<\/a> show how Americans&rsquo; progress has stagnated over the past four years, thanks to &ldquo;Bidenomics.&rdquo; It explains why families consider the economy, and the nation, to be in <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/03\/16\/polls-show-bidenflation-is-killing-democrats-with-minority-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">such poor shape<\/a> &mdash; a problem that Harris&rsquo; policies would <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/21\/how-kamalas-economic-plans-would-send-bidenflation-into-overdrive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only make worse<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Years of Missing Raises<\/h2>\n<p>On a superficial level, the census income numbers do provide some good news. In 2023, real median household income &mdash; that is, the income of the family at the absolute middle (the 50th percentile) of the income distribution, as adjusted for inflation &mdash; had its first statistically significant income increase in four years.<\/p>\n<p>But dig deeper into the census data tables, specifically Table A-2 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.census.gov\/library\/publications\/2024\/demo\/p60-282.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">income report<\/a>, and the problem becomes clearer. Inflation-adjusted household income in 2023 remained marginally below the 2019 pre-pandemic levels. That means Americans have missed out on four years of pay raises, to the tune of thousands of dollars:<\/p>\n<p>2019: $81,210<\/p>\n<p>2020: $79,560 ($1,650 less than 2019)<\/p>\n<p>2021: $79,260 ($1,950 less than 2019)<\/p>\n<p>2022: $77,540 ($3,670 less than 2019)<\/p>\n<p>2023: $80,610 ($600 less than 2019)<\/p>\n<p>The census data shows that Americans lost a total of $7,870 in household income over the last four years compared to what they would have had if household income had remained at 2019 levels for that entire period. Of course, if incomes had continued to rise, as they had during most of the four years prior to 2019, Americans would have benefited even more.<\/p>\n<p>The same math applies to the average, as opposed to median, household income. It too has not yet exceeded 2019 levels when adjusted for inflation. And because average household income is higher than median household income (because millionaires and others in &ldquo;the 1 percent&rdquo; skew the average higher), it demonstrates that even relatively affluent households have suffered from economic stagnation under &ldquo;Bidenomics.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The same <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/09\/19\/falling-household-income-numbers-show-how-bidenflation-has-hit-americans-wallets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">loss of purchasing power<\/a> since 2019 appeared in last year&rsquo;s census <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/content\/dam\/Census\/library\/publications\/2023\/demo\/p60-279.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">income report<\/a> as well, such that few policymakers should be surprised that American families remain in a politically foul mood after years of struggling to tread water. The real surprise is why Harris thinks that <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/21\/how-kamalas-economic-plans-would-send-bidenflation-into-overdrive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more of the same policies<\/a> from the past four years &mdash; more taxes, more government spending, and more regulation &mdash; will have anything other than the same result.<\/p>\n<h2>Growing Dependence on Government<\/h2>\n<p>The census <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.census.gov\/library\/publications\/2024\/demo\/p60-284.pdf\">report on health insurance coverage<\/a>, also released on Tuesday, included a few interesting data points. While the number of individuals with health insurance did not change in a statistically meaningful way, the composition did, and in a way consistent with Democrat policies.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, the number of Americans with employer-provided coverage declined by a statistically significant 0.7 percent, while the number of people with health insurance purchased via the Obamacare Exchanges increased by 0.4 percent. In raw numbers, that amounts to 1.6 million individuals losing employer plans, with nearly 1.5 million joining the exchanges.<\/p>\n<p>This development comports with recent Congressional Budget Office <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/system\/files\/2024-06\/60437-Arrington-Smith-Letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimates<\/a> suggesting that, if enhanced Exchange subsidies <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/15\/bidens-health-insurance-plan-would-grow-the-deficit-by-335-billion-in-10-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">get extended next year<\/a>, 3.5 million individuals would lose employer coverage, because &ldquo;employers would change their offers of health insurance.&rdquo; It is entirely possible that, even before Congress makes a decision about whether to extend the &ldquo;temporary&rdquo; enhanced subsidies, businesses are already dropping coverage and dumping their workers onto the Exchanges to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.<\/p>\n<p>Lower incomes, higher government spending and inflation, and fewer people with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/by-the-way-kamala-harris-is-a-dangerous-authoritarian\/\" title=\"By The Way, Kamala Harris Is A Dangerous Authoritarian\">private health insurance &#038;mdash<\/a>; such is life under Joe Biden, which would continue under his second-in-command, Kamala Harris.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Chris Jacobs is founder and CEO of Juniper Research Group, a policy consulting firm based in Washington, and author of the book &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1645720020\">The Case Against Single Payer<\/a>.&#8221; He appeared in the 1995 &#8220;Jeopardy!&#8221; Teen Tournament and is on Twitter: <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/chrisjacobsHC\">@chrisjacobsHC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the pivotal moments in presidential debates occurred during the 1980 contest between the Republican challenger and the Democratic incumbent. In his closing remarks, Ronald Reagan questioned Jimmy Carter&#8217;s record by asking, \u201cAre you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to shop now than it was four years ago?\u201d Recently, in her first presidential debate, Kamala Harris faced a similar question about whether Americans are better off than they were four years prior but did not provide a clear answer. However, earlier that day, the Census Bureau revealed that they are not. <\/p>\n<p>The annual census data on poverty, income, and health insurance coverage indicates that American progress has stalled over the past four years due to &#8220;Bidenomics.&#8221; This stagnation explains why many families perceive both the economy and their country as struggling\u2014a situation likely to worsen under Harris&#8217; policies.<\/p>\n<p>While there is some positive news regarding income levels\u20142023 saw a statistically significant increase in real median household income for the first time in four years\u2014further analysis reveals ongoing issues. When adjusted for inflation, household income in 2023 still fell slightly below pre-pandemic levels from 2019. This means Americans have effectively missed out on substantial pay raises over these past four years:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; 2019: $81,210<br \/>\n&#8211; 2020: $79,560 (down $1,650 from 2019)<br \/>\n&#8211; 2021: $79,260 (down $1,950 from 2019)<br \/>\n&#8211; 2022: $77,540 (down $3,670 from 2019)<br \/>\n&#8211; 2023: $80,610 (down $600 from 2019)<\/p>\n<p>Overall data shows that households lost approximately $7,870 compared to what their incomes would have been if they had maintained levels consistent with those of 2019 throughout this period. If incomes had continued rising as they did before this timeframe began in late-2015 through early-2018\u2014when wages were increasing significantly\u2014the losses would be even greater.<\/p>\n<p>This trend also applies to average household income; it too has yet to surpass pre-pandemic figures when adjusted for inflation. Since average household income is typically higher than median due to wealthier individuals skewing averages upwardly (&#8220;the top one percent&#8221;), this suggests even more affluent households have experienced economic stagnation under &#8220;Bidenomics.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The same decline in purchasing power since before COVID was noted last year as well; thus it&#8217;s unsurprising that American families remain frustrated after enduring several challenging years economically. The real question is why Harris believes continuing previous policies\u2014such as increased taxes and government spending along with heightened regulation\u2014will yield different outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally noteworthy is Tuesday&#8217;s census report on health insurance coverage which revealed some intriguing statistics. While overall numbers of insured individuals remained stable statistically speaking; however there was a notable shift consistent with Democratic policy goals: employer-provided coverage dropped by about .7%, while those obtaining insurance through Obamacare Exchanges rose by .4%. In raw terms this translates into roughly\u00a01.6 million people losing employer-sponsored plans while nearly\u00a01.5 million transitioned onto exchanges instead.<\/p>\n<p>This aligns with recent Congressional Budget Office projections indicating if enhanced Exchange subsidies are extended next year then around\u00a03.5 million could lose employer-based coverage because employers might alter their health insurance offerings accordingly\u2014which suggests businesses may already be moving away from providing such benefits even before Congress decides on extending these temporary enhancements leading workers towards taxpayer-funded options instead.<\/p>\n<p>In summary lower incomes combined with increased government expenditure alongside fewer private healthcare options characterize life under Joe Biden\u2014a trajectory likely sustained should Kamala Harris assume leadership following him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":2343233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/President-Trump-Roundtable-Tax-Reform.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[11492,34402,32640,41205,5015],"class_list":["post-2343232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-census","tag-economic-policy","tag-trump-administration","tag-wage-stagnation","tag-workers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/President-Trump-Roundtable-Tax-Reform.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2343232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}