"Real" is a misnomer. Interest expenses aren't included in the CPI adjustment for real wage growth. Decreases in used/new vehicle prices wouldn't necessarily of

"Real" is a misnomer. Interest expenses aren't included in the CPI adjustment for real wage growth. Decreases in used/new vehicle prices wouldn't necessarily offset increases in food prices for someone taking public transit. For a worker with credit card debt, or one who already struggles to afford public transit, the real wage growth is illusory.