Q4 increases to 2.4%
Sunday March 27, 2016
Based upon last week’s “Third Estimate” of U.S. fourth quarter GDP released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, StayingEven.com’s full year estimate of the 2015 Staying Even Index stayed at 2.7%. Q4 SEI increased to 2.4%, from the prior read of 2.3%. The overall pattern of slowing economic growth and slowing SEI growth in the back half of the year remains the same.
The SEI measures the year-to-year income growth required for individuals to keep up in the U.S. economy – or to “stay even” with where they were in the prior year period.
2015 estimated growth in the SEI suggest that individuals whose 2015 total income from all sources grew by more than 2.7% from 2014 expanded their adjusted share of the U.S. economy, and those whose total income grew by less than 2.7% fell behind compared to the prior year. The 2015 increase in the Staying Even Index (SEI) is based upon reported 2015 year-over-year nominal GDP growth of 3.4% and average population growth of 0.7%.
The 2.7% 2015 SEI growth is significantly higher than the reported 0.1% 2015 average increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the 0.0% 2016 Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). Over the past five years through 2015, the SEI rose 15.6%, compared to an 8.7% rise in the CPI, demonstrating once again that raises that keep up with CPI/COLA are not sufficient to stay even in the growing US economy.
SEI VS. CPI GROWTH, 2011-2015
| Year | SEI Growth | CPI Growth |
| 2011 | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2012 | 3.3% | 2.1% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| 2014 | 3.3% | 1.6% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | 0.1% |
| Cumulative 2011-2015 | 15.6% | 8.7% |
StayingEven.com will publish updates to these figures as GDP and population estimates are revised over the coming months and as future quarter GDP estimates are released. We are dedicated to helping individuals understand what income growth is required to keep up in the U.S. Economy.
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To find out whether you have gotten ahead and to learn more about the Index, please follow @stayingeven on Twitter and visit us at StayingEven.com. Contact: .