Tag: wage growth

Hand fillin gout a health inaurance form on a clipboard with. a stethoscope and laptop in the background

The rising cost of employer contributions to employee-sponsored health insurance (ESHI) can slow wage growth and erode the Social Security wage base.  Both these effects were evident in the decades before 2005, as ESHI increased as a share of compensation.  Fortunately, the ratio of ESHI contributions to compensation plateaued after 2005, stabilizing wages and halting…

Social Security Card: Senior woman holding card in hand on white background

Introduction Today, the Social Security Administration announced that benefits payable in December 2008 would be increased 5.8 percent beginning January 1, 2009.  This cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) – the largest in 26 years – is an important reminder that keeping pace with inflation is one of the attributes that makes Social Security benefits such a unique source of…