Pew Research: Two-Thirds of Americans Say Inflation Is a Very Big Problem

Two-thirds of Americans say inflation is a very big problem — and for most working families, that feeling is backed up by the numbers.

Median weekly wages more than doubled between 1999 and 2025 on paper, rising from $482 to $1,040. But once you account for inflation, real buying power grew by just 11% to 22% over that entire 26-year stretch — depending on how you measure it. That is not a raise. That is barely treading water across a generation of work.

And the pressure is intensifying right now. Inflation hit its highest level in three years this past April. The share of Americans who call it a very big problem has risen from 63% last year to 66% today. That uptick may sound small, but behind it are millions of people making harder choices — about groceries, rent, prescriptions, and whether this month's paycheck will stretch far enough.

The workers feeling this most acutely are the ones who were already running closest to the edge. When prices climb faster than paychecks, the gap doesn't show up in economic reports first — it shows up at kitchen tables.

A supermajority of Americans knows something is wrong. They are not imagining it. The data confirms what their bank accounts already told them.

Leading Ladies Vote believes every working person deserves an economy that works for them — not just for those at the top. Know the numbers. Share the facts. Use your power.

🔗 Read the full Pew Research report: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/05/21/have-americans-wages-kept-up-with-inflation-that-depends/