Americans got their biggest raises in 40 years. Inflation took most of it.
The typical American’s paycheck has grown faster since 2019 than in any stretch since the early 1980s. Most of it didn’t stick. A CBS News analysis of Census data found the typical full-time worker earned $1,250 a week in the first half of 2026. That’s up $342 from the year before the pandemic, a raise…