United States | The unstuck middle

Incomes are rising in America, especially for the poorest

But those in the middle, hit by inflation, have less to cheer about

IRVING, TEXAS - AUGUST 10: A welder works on an overpass on the Irving Interchange infrastructure project at the site of the former Texas Stadium on August 10, 2022 in Irving, Texas. The $301 million project, started in 2020 and set to end in 2023, includes the reconstruction of interchanges at SH 183, SH 114, Loop 12 and Spur 482. The Texas Department of Transportation says 261,000 square feet of concrete is being used for 32 bridges spanning 4.8 miles and an additional 4.6 miles of roadway in the Irving project, part of the Texas Clear Lanes initiative, aimed at reducing congestion in urban areas of Texas. The Dallas Cowboys played at Texas Stadium in Irving, Tx. for 38 seasons. The structure was demolished in a controlled implosion in 2010 following the NFL team's move to AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington, Tx. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) — Image: Getty Images

Jan 15th 2023|WASHINGTON, DC

Cardi B, better known for her punchy hip-hop than her economic analysis, recently observed that the price of a lettuce had soared to as much as $7. “If I think that shit is crazy, I can only imagine what middle-class people or people in the hood are mother [bleep] thinking,” she said. Ms B is right. Paying that much for a head of lettuce is indeed crazy. Inadvertently or not, she also opened a window onto a more fraught topic than the price of greens: are incomes in America going up or down?

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The unstuck middle”