I'm going to post a chart you've seen a million times before (the myth of wage stagnation)

[Beartracks]

119. I can see that. But even those gains have been below what they SHOULD have been.

I think the usual analogy is that women and minorities are now getting their own slices (congratulations!) of an ever-shrinking pie.

You've described, perhaps, how the "traditional" middle class demographic has gotten squeezed by one force: increasing competition in the job market from minorities and women. But they've also gotten squeezed by a second force: the Great Middle Class Undoing that's been operating for around the same span of time (30+ years).

Your OP kind of made it sound like wages are simply being spread around to more workers than before, so of course the traditional workers would notice they weren't getting raises, or something like that -- like this white male demographic was complaining because they just didn't realize they now had to share this huge pile of money with others.

But economic productivity has increased -- a lot -- and there was clearly a need for all these new people entering the workforce. But then... all the productivity gains went to the top, leaving ALL demographics in the work force waiting for the trickle down that never came.

So when white males observe that wages have stagnated, and cost of living has skyrocketed, and productivity gains are going only to the wealthy.... that's all still quite true. And, according to your initial analysis, that demographic has the most historical participation in the workforce to be able to fully understand how things have gone awry.

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