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Inflation and real pay articles help you compare a nominal raise with a published price index for the same period so you can see whether purchasing power rose, held, or fell. A three percent raise next to three percent inflation is roughly flat in real terms even though the stub looks larger; a smaller raise can mean lost ground despite more dollars. This category distinguishes cost-of-living adjustments from merit awards, explains when COLA language appears in letters, and shows how to keep inflation as a second lens—not a replacement for employer pool math. Pair these posts with the cost-of-living adjustment calculator and the inflation guide when you need a worked comparison, and keep assumptions about the index and time window written down so you can refresh the estimate when a new print arrives.
Start here for the first read in this category.
Compare a nominal raise with inflation to see whether purchasing power rose, held steady, or quietly fell this year.
Separate COLA language from merit awards, then check purchasing power beside the nominal percent on your letter.